My Escape
by StarrySkiesAbove764
Summary: Jamie Heartfilia never said life would be easy, but she didn't expect things to get this crazy! Between trying to comfort her twin, Lucy, and figuring out just what the magical seal her mother gave her meant, and dealing with her father, she felt like she was falling apart...Oh, wait, what's this? Everyone thinks that Jamies dead?Read more to find out!(Fairy Tail,Lucy H,OC,Rogue C)
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End

**Hello! This is my first time writing a fanfic, so please let me know what you think! All comments and _constructive_ criticism welcome! Have fun reading!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the world of Fairy Tail or any of the characters besides my OCs and the story plot line. Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima!**

 **Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End**

She screamed, running as fast as her little legs could take her. Then, all at once, she tripped over a stone and went flying, head over heels, into the arms of the very person she was trying so desperately to escape. Shrieking with laughter, she giggled uncontrollably as her father swung her in circles, hanging on to his neck for dear life. "Jamie! Jude! Lucy! Come inside, it's time for dinner!" Called her mother, Layla. Jude, her father, yelled back his agreement and swept Jamie's twin, Lucy, into his arms and ran inside.

After dinner, Jamie and Lucy sat curled up in their mother's arms, sighing contentedly as she read them yet another story. They were enthralled as Layla's smooth voice entranced them, sucking them into a world of fantasy where anything is possible. Their father stood in the doorway to the library, smiling warmly at the scene. "Mommy, why can't the princess escape by herself? Why does she need the prince to save her?" An inquisitive Jamie asked, her eyes wide and eager. Lucy huffed in response, saying that she thought it was "a very romantic way to escape if you ask me," and that it was "more exciting that way". Their mother's melodic laughter filled the air as she interrupted the twins' latest argument. "Well, girls, you both are right. It is romantic to be saved by your true love, and can be exciting that way-" Lucy jumped up and yelled out her agreement, and then paused as her mother continued, "-but it is also true that you can't wait around your whole life for someone else to bring you happiness. You have to go out and find it for yourself, and you will often find it in the people around you. Never forget that; your friends and family will always be there for you, no matter what."

* * *

The next day, Jamie walked inside from her latest expedition in the forest surrounding the estate, bouncing in anticipation from her discovery. She couldn't wait to tell Lucy, she knew that her twin would be so incredibly jealous. After slamming open the huge elaborate front doors of the estate building, she froze upon being greeted by a roomful of solemn and crying faces. "W-what's going on?" She asked hesitantly, slowly creeping forwards into the main hall's entryway. "It's your mother, darling, I'm afraid she has fallen ill and won't be getting better," explained her father, walking up to greet his frightened daughter. She latched onto his leg, starting to cry. "What do you mean she won't get better?" She sobbed, clinging even tighter. Her father took a moment to answer, his voice thick with emotion, "It means that she will die in about a month, honey. I'm so sorry, there's nothing that the doctors can do to help her..." he trailed off quietly, starting to cry himself. The pair of them held each other closely, doing their best to ward off the broken emotions that threatened to swallow them whole.

* * *

Jamie sat with her back against her favorite tree, silently staring off into the distance. Lucy trotted over, oblivious to her mother's impending death. Her father had had a lapse in judgment upon seeing his elder daughter and ended up telling her what he had sworn he would not until he was sure it was too late for his beloved wife. Hence, Jamie began to lapse into a state of depression while her twin continued on as she had before. "Jamie! Do you wanna explore in the forest with me? You said you would find something cool to show me and mommy! This way, when mommy gets better, we can both show her!"

Jamie started to cry, unable to help herself. She tilted her head forwards, letting her hair cover her tear stained face. After a moment's pause, she managed to answer. "Maybe later, Lucy. I'm really tired right now." Lucy visibly drooped in dejection. "But Jamie, you said that last time! And the time before that, and the time before that, and-" her complaint was cut short when Jamie jumped up, her sister's cheerfulness too much for her to bear. "I'm so sorry, Lucy," she whispered as she sprinted off, unsure of where to seek refuge from the demons plaguing her. "Mommy, why do you have to die? We need you..." her chest heaved with heartbreaking sobs, drawing the concerned and pitying gazes of the mansion's staff as she ran past them.

Stopping in front of her mother's bedroom door, she paused, hesitating to open it because of the hushed voices she heard on the other side. "-It's not fair for Jamie to bear the burden of my death without the support of her sister. I know you didn't want either to know until later, but what's done is done. You can't change the past, and she needs her twin now more than ever." The sound of her mother's weak voice, ringing in Jamie's ears despite its low volume, shocked her into a still position, neither entering nor leaving.

"Besides, how will Lucy react when she finds out that Jamie found out a month before she did? It is too much to ask a child to instantly forgive her family for withholding information that holds that much weight to it, especially after the loss of her mother." Unsure of what to do and forced into action from the approaching footsteps behind the door, Jamie jogged further down the hallway and away from what certainly meant trouble.

Upon reaching the library, she immediately went straight to her hiding spot that she had turned into her very own fort, impossible to find unless you knew exactly where to look. After snuggling into the pile of blankets and pillows, Jamie thought hard about what she had heard. That her parents were talking about her and Lucy was troubling to say the least, especially when you put it into context. Her mother thought that she needed Lucy? She felt tears well up in her eyes; yes, she does need Lucy. It hurts her too much to watch her cheerful obliviousness, unaware of what she thought was certain impending doom. "Mommy, I don't know how I'll be able to live without you," Jamie whimpered tearfully, "Without you, everything feels so broken. Please, please don't leave us…" She trailed off at the end of her sentence, unable to speak through the keening sobs ripping from her chest.

She laid there for hours, letting her sorrows and fears overcome her. Servants passing by shook their heads mournfully, sympathy for the young heiress prominent on their faces. However, they all knew that there was nothing that they could do to make a difference, so with heavy feet and laden hearts, they continued on past the library doors that gaped open like the hungry maw of a beast best left alone. On the other side of the mansion, Lucy sat alone and worried. She knew that something was horribly wrong, and her twin wouldn't talk to her, let alone look at her anymore. She racked her brain, trying to think of what she possibly could have done wrong. Her father was always busy now, either working or spending time with their sick mother. Suddenly, her breath stopped short as a petrifying thought seized her. What if something is really wrong with Mommy? Does everyone else know something that I don't?

Lucy shook her head, trying to rid herself of the heavy thoughts that plagued her. If it was really important, then someone would have told her already. There was no point in dwelling on things that would only make her feel worse. So, with that, she stood and went to go find her hiding twin, determined to get her to play with her. Jamie was being stubborn, and Lucy had had enough. It was time to either get over it or tell her just what was bothering her sister so much. She opened the door to the room that she shared with her twin, and skipped down the empty hallway, starting her quest to go find Jamie. Unknowing of the pain that would soon befall her and the rest of the mansion's household.

* * *

Jamie sat in her father's office, eyes focused on the trim of the rug that lay on the floor beneath her feet. Jude sat in front of her, sorrow lining every crease on his face and showed in the slump of his shoulders. "Jamie, I know that this hurts. But, Lucy is hurting too, albeit for different reasons. She thinks that she did something to make you mad because you won't play with her anymore. You won't even look her in the eye, and even though I know that it hurts to have to hold the knowledge of- to have to know what she doesn't, you can't just cut Lucy out of your life completely." Tears crept their way back into Jamie's eyes and made their way down her puffy cheeks. Hesitantly, she attempted to answer, "Daddy, I know that. But, it's so hard. It's so hard to watch her run around and laugh like nothing's happening. I can't, I just can't. I can't pretend to be happy and fine when it feels like everything is crumbling to dust around me." She glanced up at her father, startled to see tears in his eyes as well. After hastily looking back down, she continued, "I know that you're hurting too. All of us who know are. It's probably hurting you even more than it's hurting me, so I guess I'll have to try. I will be strong for Lucy, and I'll be strong for you and Mommy. I promise that I won't let you hurt by yourself and that Lucy will never have to know what it feels like to hurt this much alone. I will protect her, because Mommy-" She broke off, trying to not completely dissolve into tears, and took a deep breath before finishing, "Soon Mommy won't be able to do that herself."

Jamie flinched when she heard her father's chair clatter to the floor as he stood up suddenly, and was surprised when he swept her up into his arms, hugging her tightly. She became even more rattled when she felt her father's tears soak into the shoulder of her dress because, in the past two weeks, she had seen him cry more than she had in her entire life; he simply didn't cry. Then, as she relaxed into his embrace, she began to cry in earnest as well. They both stood there, breaking, but somehow still holding each other up, despite the pain that threatened to devour them. After a few minutes passed by, Jude relaxed his grip on his daughter a little. He kissed the top of her head lovingly, and spoke softly, his voice still thick with emotion. "Grace Jameson Heartfilia-" he paused, squeezing her slightly, "You are amazing. I could never have asked for a better daughter or a better family. You are stronger than I will ever be, and you never cease to impress me with your bravery and courage. Your determination to take on everything that is thrown at you is inspiring, and I love you will all my heart."

He pulled away from her just enough to stare into her cool brown eyes with their grey-green tint. "Never, ever, forget that. No matter what happens, promise me that you won't forget that I love you." Sniffing, Jamie smiled at her father gently and responded, "I promise, Daddy. As long as you can promise me the same, I will never forget." He hugged his daughter close once more, and whispered; "I promise." Jamie pulled away first, eyes glimmering with tears and conviction. "Daddy, I'm going to help you. Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it. I can help you with work and whatever else comes up. It's going to get harder without Mommy here, and I already promised you that you won't be alone. So, rely on me. I want to help." A warm smile filled Jude's tear-streaked face, and he placed his hand on his beautiful daughter's head, his voice now steady. "Okay, Jamie, help me then."

* * *

Jamie threw herself into her studies and made sure to make time for her twin. Although it took a while, Jamie had finally been able to convince Lucy that she was "fine" and that she wasn't mad at her at all. Lucy had been confused at Jamie's sudden change in attitude, but let it go because she was just so happy to have her sister back after two very painful weeks of being alone. Jamie still was hurting desperately on the inside, but she somehow managed to hide it better from the people around her. She would smile and giggle in front of the servants and her sister, but as soon as she was alone, her face became blank and her eyes filled with tears and devastating pain. She would cry quietly as she studied, doing her best to focus on the business and complicated pragmatics that she was determined to learn. After all, how could she possibly help her father if she didn't know anything?

In her spare time, she would write, either journaling or poetry. While her twin enjoyed writing and reading novels endlessly, Jamie preferred to just read, and when she did write, it was a poem. She just couldn't bring herself to pretend to be someone she was not when alone, because that was what she did constantly in every other situation. She couldn't keep pretending forever. So, she wrote. When she wasn't writing, she was playing the piano. Her mother had taught both her and Lucy how to play, but Lucy was more interested in books than music. Jamie, however, instantly connected to it. Music was a part of her very soul, and the piano called to her in ways that she didn't entirely understand. She continued to practice after Lucy grew bored, and begged her mother to teach her more. She played and she played, and soon, started to sing as well. It seemed to come naturally, but with her mother so sick, she could only bring herself to do so when she was completely alone.

Besides music and writing, Jamie found herself drawing. She didn't draw or paint very often, though, because between studies, Lucy, and what little time to herself she had, there just simply wasn't enough time to truly throw herself into art, no matter how much she enjoyed it. So, art stayed on the sidelines for quite a while. Meanwhile, it had been just over two weeks since she found out her mother would die, and it had only been three days since she spoke with her father. She hadn't seen much of him since then, after all, he was incredibly busy. At the present moment, Jude was in a meeting with several other people, doing whatever he could to further his business. Jamie and Lucy were playing outside in the garden while this went on, giggling as they chased each other around. After all, they were both only 9 years old, going on ten. Their birthday was in thirteen days, making Jamie very uneasy about the timing, after all, it was too close to the general time her mother was supposed to die for her to be comfortable. Would her mother even live to see her beloved daughters turn ten?

Heavy thoughts such as these weighed on Jamie's mind as she forced herself to appear cheerful, and caused her to lose her focus as she was running. Unaware of the wooden ledge right in front of her, Jamie tripped and hit her head on the metal figurine of a fairy and dragon dancing together. She screamed as she fell, and was knocked unconscious after the two figurines hit her face with a sickening squelch. Lucy heard her sister's scream and turned around just in time to see her hit the ground. An inhuman screech bubbled up in her throat as she stumbled over to where Jamie lay. She reached out to her twin with shaking hands, pulling her off of the twisted metal and rolling her onto her back. The scream finally escaped from her lips upon seeing the bloody gash across Jamie's face, pulpy mashed flesh twisted in a long line from next to her right eye all the way down to beneath her mouth. Blood was everywhere, gushing seemingly unceasingly from Lucy's injured twins body, coating them both.

A gardener hurried over as fast as he could upon hearing both of the girls scream, one after the other, and was terrified of what awaited him. He finally reached them, and felt his stomach heave after taking in the gory scene before him, bile creeping up his throat. The poor man quickly scooped Jamie up out of her sister's arms and ran as fast as he could to the mansion while bellowing for help. Frightened maids and servants bustled around in a flurry of action, one running to notify Jude, another to call for an emergency medic, someone else leading Lucy away from her sister and towards the bathroom to get the blood off of her and keep her from having to observe what was going on any longer...It was pure chaos. They all felt themselves crumpling under the weight of everything going on, what with Layla's sickness and Jamie's injury, it was too much to bear. It was all too much…


	2. Chapter 2: Things Get Worse

**Oh, you kept reading...Thanks!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters, Hiro Mashima does!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Things Get Worse**

Later, after the doctor was called and Jude was summoned, things only seemed to escalate. Jude was absolutely furious over what had happened, horrified to see one of his daughters so badly injured. He could feel himself shutting down, unable to cope with the stress. He became harsher with the people around him, incredulous that his life had seemingly gone to hell over the past two weeks. He watched the healer hover over Jamie, cleaning here, dabbing there, muttering simple incantations to help with the process. A solemn look was plastered onto her face as she mumbled technical jargon that only served to make the pressure over everyone else even heavier. Finally, she stopped and turned around to face the tense master of the house. Eyebrows furrowed in concern, she spoke, "I was able to fix most of the damage, and Miss Heartfilia appears to have no brain injuries or broken bones. However, the large gash on her face will most definitely scar and it won't be pretty. It will take around three weeks to heal completely, but there shouldn't be any serious complications in the process. If there are any more concerns, contact me and I will address them accordingly."

Jude stood, and approached the stern woman, and shook her hand. His voice was tense as he thanked her for her services, and paid her the amount he owed. As she walked out of the room, though, he said, "Of course, it goes without saying that you will not mention anything you have heard or done here to anyone, Dr. Porlyusica?" She paused in the doorway, glanced over her shoulder, nodded once, and left. Jude turned back to face Jamie and heaved a deep sigh. He stayed there, watching, saw her begin to stir, and left as well. The only one left was the maid, since Lucy wasn't allowed to see her sister yet. Mrs. Spetto sat in a chair by Jamie's bed, a mournful look on her face. Layla was on her deathbed, Jude beginning to change, and here was Jamie, injured and bandaged. Tragedy, it seemed, had befallen the Heartfilia family once more.

* * *

Jamie's eyes cracked open, a pounding headache and searing pain greeting her. She slowly worked her eyes the rest of the way up, trying to discern where she was. All she saw was stinging brightness, and ringing filled her ears. She couldn't smell anything but the metallic scent of blood, and every time she tried to move, vicious pain wracked her body. Mrs. Spetto finally noticed her efforts and rushed over to Jamie's side, wringing her hands anxiously. "Jamie, dear, can you hear me?" Her voice filtered into Jamie's head like honey, slow and sweet compared to everything else going on inside. "How are you feeling, sweetie?" Jamie attempted to answer, but all that came out were some unintelligible groans that only served to make her head feel worse. Mrs. Spetto fluttered around worriedly, unsure of what to do. She managed to bring some water and painkillers and somehow got Jamie to ingest them. She then fell asleep once more and didn't wake up till the next day.

* * *

Jude stood by his wife's bed, his heart breaking as he watched Layla struggle to breathe evenly upon hearing what had happened to Jamie. "She what?!" He flinched at her shrill tone, especially since she very rarely raised her voice. Jude took a deep breath, then replied, "From what I gathered, she and Lucy had been running around playing tag when Jamie tripped and landed on that metal figurine, the one with the fairy and dragon. It is completely ruined, but Jamie is going to be okay. Dr. Porlyusica said that she would be fully healed in about three weeks and that there were no brain injuries. Jamie is going to have quite the scar after this…" He trailed off at the end, worried about how his daughter would recover from her fall. He remembered their conversation from a few days earlier and felt a surge of emotion at the thought of her willingness to do anything she could to help the people around her.

"Layla, I'm worried about Lucy and Jamie. I don't know if I'll be able to raise them alone. I can't do this without you." Layla looked up at her husband, her gaze stern. "Jude. Everything will be alright. You will be fine, you have a mansion full of people who care and are ready and willing to support you. Lucy will become a celestial mage, and I plan on giving Jamie the seal. They will both take care of you if you let them." Jude heaved a sigh, looking away from his wife and out of the window, where he could see an unkindness of ravens swoop by, creating a cacophony of noise. After a moment, Layla uttered something that grabbed his attention once more. "Jude, Porlyusica said that I only have about two weeks left before this disease becomes fatal. I need to spend more time with the twins, please." It wasn't the first time she had tried to cajole him into letting her spend more time with their daughters, but he was always hesitant.

But now, he couldn't bring himself to refuse her once more. "Fine," he muttered, shifting slightly, "I will let them see you this Wednesday; Jamie needs a couple more days before she will be able to visit." Layle sank back into her cushions while exhaling in relief. She smiled warmly at her husband, a glimmer of tears barely present in her chocolate colored eyes. "Now, tell me what's been happening besides all this business about injuries."

* * *

It was late in the day when Jamie woke up again, the sun low on the horizon. Her eyes cracked open slightly, adjusting to the amount of light filtering into the room from the small window to her left. After a moment, she turned her gaze away from the sterile white ceiling to see if there was anyone else in the vicinity. No one came into view, so she closed her eyes once more, trying to remember what had happened. It was hard to think about anything besides how her head felt like it would explode from the throbbing pressure that had built up inside. All that came to mind was that when she had played with Lucy, she tripped...and then nothing. All that came after was darkness and pain, crippling, blinding pain. The door creaked open, sparing her from the thoughts that wouldn't leave her alone. "Jamie! Are you awake?" It was Lucy. Jamie groaned in response, eliciting a squeal from her bouncing sister. "Yay! How are you feeling? Do you remember what happened?"

Her voice was too loud, and Jamie groaned again, much louder this time. Lucy finally got the hint and gasped slightly. "Sorry Jamie!" she whisper-shouted, "I'll be quieter." Her feet pattered across the floor, and Jamie shifted her head so she could catch a glimpse of her twin, her eyes peering through the thick bandages covering her head. "Lucy." Jamie managed to croak, and Lucy winced at the roughness of her sister's voice. "What is it, Jamie?" Lucy asked, concerned. She shifted again under the covers, trying to make herself more comfortable. "What happened? I remember we running, and then I tripped...why can't I remember anything else?" Jamie inquired nervously; scared to hear what her twin had to say. Lucy had flinched when Jamie mentioned tripping, and her eyes started to water as she thought of what had happened...blood, blood everywhere. She started to tremble slightly, and let out a quiet whimper before speaking.

"Y-you hit your head; it was really bad and you were bleeding a lot. I-" She cut herself off before she could continue, tears gathering in her warm brown eyes, and took a shuddering breath. "I thought you were going to die," Lucy admitted, a single teardrop escaping her eyelashes and running down her face before more joined, slipping unnoticed. Jamie felt her heart break inside as she watched her sister cry, so she slid her hand out from underneath the covers and took Lucy's hand, squeezing it weakly. "It's okay Lucy, I'm still here. I'll get better and then we can both show Mommy what we found in the garden together! So don't cry, got it?" Jamie ordered sternly, eyes gentle and a soft smile negating the edge in her voice. Lucy smiled back, sniffing loudly. "Okay. Make sure you get better soon and pay more attention to where you're running!" She commanded, shaking her finger teasingly before they both erupted into giggles, both trying their best to laugh the pain that hovered above them away.

* * *

The next couple of days passed achingly slowly, and time became an abstract concept that no longer felt applicable. Jamie continued to slip in and out of consciousness, having nothing better to do than sleep, think, and stare at the ceiling above her. Then, on the morning of August 22nd, she was finally allowed to get out of bed. Unable to walk properly and extremely light-headed, Jamie leaned heavily on the arm that Mrs. Spetto offered her, who had been concerned about the poor girl's stability. After becoming re-accustomed to gravity, Jamie was finally granted permission to go see her mother. She becoming increasingly worried after having not been able even to catch a glimpse of her for several days in a row. It was making her restless, and Jamie did not like it. Missing her mother left a weight in her heart, so it was with great relief that she relaxed upon seeing that Layla looked none the worse since her most recent visit.

She resisted the urge to run up and squeeze her mother in a death grip, and instead made her way over to the bedside, walking slowly as to not trip over the hem of her dress. "Mom, how are you doing?" She inquired, retreating to her formal facade due to her nerves that made her want to shake where she stood. Layla broke out into a wide smile and reached out to take her daughter's hand, squeezing it tightly before waving off Jamie's question. "Shouldn't I be the one to ask you that?" She laughed quietly, tightening her grip around Jamie's hand once more before letting go in favor of pushing a few rogue strands of hair out of the young girl's face. Jamie just shook her head before responding, "I am not doing particularly well, but that's to be expected. I'm sure it will become easier to deal with soon enough." She stated with a small grin and shifted closer to her mother, letting her expression melt into a much warmer smile. "I love you, Mommy," Jamie remarked, leaning over, and planted a gentle kiss on her mother's forehead.

Layla smiled like the sun and brightened the room around her as she did so. "I love you too darling, forever and always," she replied, echoing the sentiment, then shifted the topic, "How have your studies been going? Your father informed me of your offer, and I think it's an excellent idea. Just make sure that you take care of yourself, okay? Your health and happiness are more important than any other task he could assign you." As soon as her mother finished speaking, the door opened behind them, revealing Jude as he strutted into the room. "Jamie, you should go back to your room and rest. Neither you nor your mother are in good enough health to continue whatever conversation this may be." He commanded, dismissing her with a stern glance towards her that then shifted to the open door before resting on Jamie once again. Jamie visibly shrank under the gaze of her father and gave her mother one last kiss before hurrying out the door with unsteady footsteps, disappointed that he had interrupted her only time that she had with her mother.

* * *

 **Please R &R, Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3: Even More Chaos

**Hello all! Thanks for sticking with me for another chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Even More Chaos**

Jamie clenched her fists in anger, doing her best to resist the urge to scream as she complained about her father's latest rule. "You have no right to keep me from seeing my mother," she ground out, keeping her voice carefully even. Her glare was ferocious and her jaw clenched. The argument between her and Jude was getting her nowhere, and that frustrated her endlessly. "You will not talk to your father that way!? It would do you some good to remember just who holds the power in this conversation, but as always, you are greatly lacking in tact. It should no longer surprise me. Now go; continue your studies before I become angry." Jude growled in a low voice back at her, hands pressed into the desk he was leaning over as he venomously glowered at his daughter. Jamie's eye began to twitch, and she felt a screech building up in her chest like bile, threatening to explode out into the air in front of her. She gave her father one last scathing look before whirling around and jerkily marching back out of Jude's office, shutting the door loudly behind her.

Once the large set of doors was closed, Jamie sprinted down the hallway and out through the side exit of the mansion, more commonly used by the staff and servants. She finally released the scream she had been holding back, and let her knees hit the ground as she tore at her hair, knuckles white from where they could be seen, clenched against Jamie's scalp. She clenched her eyes shut, trying to hide from the disbelief that rang loudly in her ears, refusing to allow it to settle inside her. "No. _No. NonononONONONONONONO_ _ **NONONONONONO**_ **THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"** She trailed off into a shriek, rocking herself back and forth as she let her fear tear itself from her throat, echoing in the courtyard around her. Jamie ignored the blood that began to seep through the bandages that were wrapped around her head, still screaming as it trickled down her face. Pain exploded behind her eyes, adding to the enormity of the moment, and yet all she could do was roar out the hurt and frustration that she felt, encompassing her entire being.

After several minutes of continued yelling, her voice gave out, faltering into a whimper. "I can't lose her already," Jamie moaned, pressing her forehead into the cobblestone beneath her, "I can't. Mommy, please-" she choked back her emerging sobs, "Please don't go." Her eyes widened as she finally noticed the blood pooling underneath her head, startled as she recognized that part of the source of her agony had been her fault. Jamie then sat up quickly and jumped to her feet, panic seizing her, replacing her anger. However, she had moved too quickly and as her vision darkened and lights burst around her, no one was there to see her crumple to the ground, hair soaked with blood. It wasn't until around thirty minutes later that one of the maids came across Jamie, shrieking in surprise upon seeing her limp form, and shouted for help. For the second time within a week, the staff of the mansion found themselves calling for Porlyusica to come to examine the young heiress and make sure no serious damage had been done.

Jude was furious that no one had thought to make sure that Jamie returned to her studies and continued to blame anyone one he could besides himself. He refused to acknowledge his part in what had happened, instead of yelling at the people around him, fuming that Jamie was injured once again before anything had any time to heal properly. It wasn't until Porlyusica stared him down with a well-placed expression that he stopped shouting. "Leave. I have no use for your tantrums here," She commanded, turning back around to inspect her patient. Jude scowled haughtily at her back for a moment before storming out of the infirmary to find someone else that he could take his anger out on properly. After Porlyusica finished her analysis, she gave out updated instructions and left with a huff, muttering something along the lines of "I hate humans", garnering some confused glances from the mansion staff around her.

It wasn't until late in the evening that Jamie awoke, groaning from the sheer amount of anguish that weighed down on her, splintering her consciousness into fragmented pieces of incoherent thoughts. It took about an hour before the pain lessened and she was able to take in her surroundings. Lucy was sitting beside her, dozing off in the chair where she was seated. Jamie reached out and shook her twin awake, demanding answers. Lucy's eyes shot open and she jolted up with a gasp. "Jamie! You're awake! I'm so glad that you're okay," she squealed, jumping up to hug Jamie. Jamie, on the other hand, simply groaned when Lucy smothered her, unable to give a proper response. "Oh! Sorry, I forgot again. Are you feeling any better?" She asked worriedly, tilting her head slightly to the right with a small frown playing across her lips. Jamie rolled her eyes playfully, smiling slightly as she replied, "Not really, I mean, what do you expect after squishing me flat like that? I'm surprised that you didn't break anything."

Lucy pouted and swatted at Jamie's arm before smirking at her sister. "Well, it's not my fault that you're so fragile! No wonder you're not allowed outside anymore, every time you leave the mansion something bad happens!" Lucy teased, faltering when she saw shock and hurt flash across Jamie's face. "Wait, you didn't know? Daddy had said something earlier, and I just thought...sorry," Lucy admitted, looking down with a guilty frown marring her face. Jamie, on the other hand, was beginning to find it hard to breathe. "I can't go outside anymore?" She gasped out, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. Lucy, upon spotting them, became flustered and flapped her hands wildly, trying to rectify her mistake. "No- I mean yes- I mean I don't know! I probably just misheard him, so don't worry about it, okay?" As Lucy stuttered, Jamie cast a doubtful look in her direction and exhaled noisily, a far-off look in her eyes.

"Lucy," Jamie began in a small voice, "What if Daddy really won't let me go outside anymore? Wh-what am I going to do if that happens?" She sniffled, biting her lip in an effort to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. Lucy winced in sympathy before drawing her sister into a hug. "It's okay Jamie, I'm sure he won't actually do that. Even if he did, would it really be that bad? We could just play together inside instead!" Jamie's shoulders began to shake as she cried silently, clutching Lucy to her chest. They both stayed like that for a while, trying to glean some form of comfort from the arms of the other, the fact that it had been so long since they last hugged each other making it all the more emotional. Lucy then decided that she had had enough of her awkward position between Jamie and where she was attempting to sit, so she released Jamie from their hug, clambered up into the bed with her, and snuggled up close with a heart melting smile.

They talked for a long while about seemingly meaningless topics, but they served well for a distraction so neither one protested. They giggled together conspiringly, smiling mischievously at one another as they recounted all of the pranks they had pulled on the people of the Heartfilia Estate. Both forgot about dinner, and continued to chat for the rest of the evening and eventually fell asleep together, legs tangled and arms entwined. A peaceful smile was present on their faces, so alike that without the bandages covering one of them it would be impossible to tell them apart when asleep. It was like this that Mrs. Spetto found them after searching for Lucy upon discovering that the young girl wasn't where she was supposed to be. With a sigh and shake of her head, she smiled at them and closed the door behind her, leaving Jamie and Lucy alone once more.

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 **Please R &R! Thank you, and have a lovely day. ~SSA**


	4. Chapter 4: Time Moves Slowly

**Hello again! I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend. Sorry for any grammar mistakes or typos (it would be awesome if you could PM me if you see any of those), enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

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 **Chapter 4: Time Moves Slowly**

When Lucy and Jamie awoke the next day, they were not surprised that they had both fallen asleep together in the infirmary. What was surprising, however, was that no one had come to retrieve Lucy yet. Jamie watched her twin grumble and snuggle further underneath the blankets, unwilling to get up quite yet. She smiled slightly; Lucy had never been a morning person, not that she could say she was much better. Jude, on the other hand, seemed to get up at the crack of dawn. Layla usually woke up early as well, so that he wouldn't have to go about his mornings in solitude. Jamie still couldn't believe that her father had the audacity to tell her that she couldn't see her mother. Or, to top it all off, that he might be potentially forbidding her from even leaving the building! Did he expect her to do everything alone, with no human interactions? She sure hoped not. That, would be cruel.

Just then, Jamie's train of thought was interrupted when the door to the infirmary opened quietly. She glanced towards the growing opening, startled that someone would be checking on them so early in the morning. Upon recognizing who it was, she scowled. She was in no mood to see, let alone speak with, her father. So, with a huff, she closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. "Jamie," she twitched with irritation, "Are you awake?" Jude asked, in a soft, apologetic tone. Jamie debated whether she should answer or not. Eventually, she opened her eyes purely because of the tone of voice he had used. He very rarely sounded apologetic, and she wanted to see how sincere he was. She stared at his face, noting the concerned expression that her father wore. "Yes," Jamie stated shortly, keeping a blank face. Apologetic or not, she was not ready to forgive him for what had happened. "Can I talk to you for a moment? It won't take long, and you can go back to bed afterward if you wish." Jude said, almost pleadingly. He knew that she was in no mood for a conversation, especially with him.

Jamie stared at her father for a moment, then sighed. "Okay, I'm coming," She muttered, shifting slightly as to disentangle Lucy's limbs from hers. After she finally made it out of bed with Lucy still, thankfully, asleep, she reluctantly shuffled across the room and over to where her father was standing. With her arms crossed over her chest and a petulant expression on her face, she glared at Jude as she waited for him to speak. "Jamie," he began, much like he had only a few minutes earlier, "I'm not going to say that either of us was right or wrong in the argument we had ereyesterday, but I will say that I'm sorry for how it ended. I should have controlled my temper, but I didn't. I have thought over everything that has happened during the past week and decided that I changed my mind. You and Lucy may go visit your mother tomorrow, separately, if you wish. All I ask is that you be mindful of her health and not do anything too strenuous."

He chuckled, both at what he would say next and the shocked expression that Jamie was sporting, "On second thought, be mindful of your own health. After all, you are much more prone to injury than your mother is if these past couple weeks are any indication." By the time her father finished speaking, she had already broken out into a huge smile, relief washing through her entire body. Sure, she was still mad about what happened, but she was allowed to see her mother! Without thinking, she stumbled forwards and threw her arms around her father, holding him close as tears welled up in her eyes once again. "Thank you," she whispered just loud enough for Jude to hear, "Thank you." Frozen stiff with surprise, her father was unsure of what to say next, and after a moments deliberation, decided to return the hug. As he wrapped his arms around Jamie, she sighed in contentment. While everything still really sucked, there was hope; and that made everything seem a little brighter.

Yes, her mother was going to die, but at least she could now spend more time with her before that happened. Yes, her father was changing, but he still proved to be the same kind-hearted man that her mother married. Yes, Lucy was going to be heartbroken upon her mother's death, but Jamie would be there to comfort and support her. They were walking through hell, but they were all walking together, and that somehow made it seem more manageable; as long as she was never alone, Jamie would be able to make it. At least, that's what she kept telling herself in hopes that it would become true. The alternative was too horrifying to even consider, and she refused to let go of what little light she had left to hold on to, because if she did, she would be lost in the shadows, never to be seen again. So, she hugged Jude tightly, doing what she could to stay present and ward off the insecurities and doubts that were bouncing around inside her head.

It wasn't until Lucy began to murmur in her sleep once more that they broke apart. Jude shot Jamie an amused glance, and she had to stifle the giggle that threatened to bubble out so that she wouldn't wake Lucy up. Jude then leaned over to plant a kiss on the top of Jamie's head, whispered a soft "I love you," and tread lightly as he ambled his way out of the infirmary. Jamie watched him leave, then shuffled sleepily back to bed, a yawn overcoming any coherent thought that might have come up. After clambering back onto the comfy surface, she gazed languidly at her twin as she drifted off into the land of her dreams. Unconsciously, the two sisters had gravitated back towards one another, and their limbs became entangled once more. A soft smile could be seen upon Jamie's face and a drowsy pout on Lucy's. They took comfort in each others presence, and it helped them both get the sleep that they desperately needed.

A few hours later, Lucy finally woke up. She glared at her surroundings blearily, noticing she was still in the infirmary and Jamie was asleep by her side. After sitting there for several moments, slumped against the headboard of the bed they were both lying in, she finally shook herself awake. Lucy smiled impishly at the sight of her twin sister fast asleep and shifted so that she was crouched next to Jamie's prone form. Jamie's expression twitched into one of discomfort momentarily, causing Lucy to freeze. After seeing that Jamie was indeed still asleep, she grinned and pounced on her unsuspecting sibling. With a whomph and a screech, Jamie jolted into awareness as Lucy tickled her mercilessly. Shrieking with laughter, it took Jamie several minutes to gasp in enough air to yell at her twin to stop.

Obediently backing away, Lucy giggled at the scowling face that was glaring daggers at her. "Luuccyyyyy," Jamie groused loudly, pointing an accusing finger at Lucy's mock innocent expression, "Why must you do this to me?!" With her other hand draped across her forehead melodramatically, Jamie protested the treatment her sister was giving her for the next few minutes. When Jamie was finished complaining, she flopped over onto Lucy's lap and stared up into her warm brown eyes. She smiled softly, contradicting her own harsh judgment of her sister's actions, and leaned into her sister's embrace. Lucy beamed at Jamie's actions and began to sift her fingers through her hair, her heart melting at the adoring look that Jamie gave her. It wasn't until Lucy accidentally brushed her fingers over Jamie's wound that she stopped, horrified at the strangled gasp that Jamie wheezed out. When a splotch of red became visible against the stark white color of the bandages that were wrapped around Jamie's head, Lucy's eyes began to water.

She jumped away from Jamie, mumbling apologies, and ignored her sister's pleas for her to stay. As Lucy ran across the floor, she didn't notice the footsteps that were echoing outside of the door, gradually becoming louder and louder. Consequentially, when she reached out for the door and wrenched it open, she squeaked in surprise as she and Mrs. Spetto fell to the floor. "Lucy, dear, what's the matter? What happened? Are you alright?" Mrs. Spetto questioned worriedly, speaking rapid-fire as she tried to figure out what was going on. All Lucy was able to do was point to where Jamie sat, blood seeping slowly through her bandages, as she finally burst into tears, shame and guilt overwhelming her. The kind old maid gasped and hurried over to Jamie's side, flitting about as she seized fresh bandages and proceeded to change the dressing of her wound. Lucy stood, petrified, as she stared at her sister's injuries with antipathy, traumatized by the damage that she beheld before her. She had known that her sister was badly injured, but she had no idea that it went to the extent that was now obvious that she paid attention, the lacerations daring her to look away.

When Mrs. Spetto was satisfied that everything was as it should be, she turned around in preparation to leave and notify the mansion's healer. What she had not been expecting was the glazed look of terror that was plastered onto Lucy's face, staring at Jamie's hunched figure. Mrs. Spetto inhaled sharply, realizing that Lucy had been watching the whole time, and bustled over to where the girl still stood, pulling her into a tight hug. She murmured comforting words, trying to erase what Lucy had seen. However, it was too late, and what Lucy witnessed would continue to haunt her dreams for many months to come. "Lucy," Jamie called weakly, reaching out for her twin, "Lucy, come back. I need you," She begged, looking plaintively at her sister, hand outstretched. Mrs. Spetto released the girl and nudged her towards her sister. Lucy stumbled over to Jamie's side, and tenderly took her hand into her own, and climbed back onto the mattress. She then wrapped her arms carefully around Jamie, shame still coursing through her as she comforted her sister, who continued to try to convince her that none of what had happened was her fault.

The rest of the day passed slowly, both of the twins staying close together, each trying to alleviate the pain that the other felt so acutely. The maids smiled sadly at them, whispering about the current gossip that was circulating through the staff. Their father greeted them at breakfast but was unable to give more than a passing conversation until dinner came. Supper passed awkwardly, with a kind yet intimidating feeling hovering in the air. Lucy refused to meet either Jude or Jamie's questioning gaze, and both of them were very concerned about how much she seemed to blame herself for what had happened. No matter how many times Jamie had told her that she had done nothing wrong, Lucy could not bring herself to believe it. No one else had been there or watched as the blood soaked through the gauze layer by layer, knowing that it had been their action that caused that blood to come forth. Because no one else had witnessed what had actually occurred, there was no way that any of them could convince her to think differently. Even so, Jamie persuaded Lucy to sleep with her again, assuring her that there was no way that anything else bad could possibly happen. In the end, they fell asleep together once more, nervous and excited for their meeting with their mother that was scheduled to occur the very next day.

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 **Thanks so much for sticking with me for another chapter! Love you all~**

 **-SSA**


	5. Chapter 5: Meeting with Mother

**Hey guys! Thanks for sticking with me another chapter! Please R &R, I hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

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 **Chapter 5: Meeting with Mother**

As Jamie slowly drifted back into consciousness, she felt content for the first time in several weeks. She was going to talk to her mother, and Lucy was still asleep, snuggled up against her side. Jude had apologized, much to her surprise, and everything was starting to look up a little. It was August 29th, two days before she and Lucy would turn ten! Jamie glanced to her left, looking out of the infirmary window at the garden courtyard that was sprawled out just beyond her view. The trees were dappled with the light of the sun, shining golden amongst their vibrant autumn colors. A rustle and quiet cough to her right brought her attention back to the present, and to Lucy, who was beginning to wake up beside her. A smile slowly made its way across her face as she studied the untroubled appearance of the girl that made up the other half of her heart. Jamie giggled quietly as Lucy continued to grumble and shift around, thinking about just how much she loved her, and how sorry she was for everything that was happening. It was all too much too fast.

There was no time to process the current circumstance, because you needed your wits about you if you wanted to make it out alive, or at least somewhat intact. At least, that was what it felt like to Jamie. She couldn't let herself dwell too much on what was going on, because otherwise, she would be unable to move forward with just about anything. The impending death of her mother still felt very unreal, and Jamie had to shove the thoughts away every time they crawled their way to the front of her mind, sharp claws gouging, causing more damage the longer they stayed. Even when she banned those little monsters from her presence, throwing them away as far and as fast as she could, they always came back. The thought of her mother's death always came back to haunt her, no matter how happy or busy she tried to make herself. Jamie still wasn't sure whether she felt thankful or resentful over the fact that her father had let something so important, so damaging, slip. That little slip cost much and changed everything; for all of them.

How was she supposed to grow up without a mother? Lucy mumbled something incoherent in her mostly asleep and partly awake phase, causing Jamie to realize that she had asked her question out loud, and not in the secure recesses of her head. Life felt like a lie because even though she kept telling herself that everything was going to be fine, repeating it over and over again, deep down Jamie knew instinctively that something, maybe many things, was/were very wrong. Did she feel content? No; she was numb. Everything was so chaotic and her world in an upheaval that she had no idea of what she was even supposed to be doing, let alone feeling. Jamie sighed heavily and shook Lucy the rest of the way awake. She could not stand to be alone with her thoughts any longer; it was too dangerous. Who knew what would happen if she was truly left to her own devices. Nothing good, it seemed.

Lucy groaned, clumsily batting away Jamie's probing fingers in an attempt to fall back asleep. Finally, after several more minutes were spent in an effort to get the younger twin out of bed, Lucy opened her eyes. She glared at Jamie accusingly, grumpy that she had been so rudely awakened. Jamie simply grinned, "Lucy! Guess what," She asked, eyes shining with excitement as she unconsciously rocked from side to side. Upon hearing Lucy's sleep-slurred response, she clapped her hands together loudly, trying to shake off any unpleasant thoughts that badgered her for attention. "We get to go see Mommy today! Daddy said that we could each talk to her separately, and then together if we want. Isn't that awesome?" Jamie demanded, bouncing where she sat, determined to get Lucy just as excited about it as she was. Her sister yawned in return, and only managed a lethargic smile that oozed down her face like sweet honey, bleary yet potent. After examining Lucy's expression, Jamie leaned back again, satisfied with the feedback she had gotten.

Lucy seemed happy; that was all that really mattered. Because of this, when Jamie came back from using the bathroom, she grinned at the sight of Lucy waiting expectantly by the door, ready to go visit their mother. "So, do you want to go first, or second? I don't mind either way." Jamie lied convincingly, a wide smile plastered on her face. She did not want to wait for a second longer if she had to. But, Lucy was more important than the fact that she was itching to just run out of the room and down the hall, so she waited for her sister to respond. Lucy must have read Jamie's impatience in her expression, because she simply shook her head and alleged, "I'm fine with waiting; you go talk to her first. I'll find something to eat meanwhile." She said, her eyes crinkling slightly in amusement. Jamie silently released the breath she didn't know she had been holding and shot her sister a grateful smile. Lucy shook her head at the sight of her twin's retreating figure, smiling knowingly, before turning back around and climbing in bed once more to fall asleep. She figured she could just sleep now and eat later.

On the other hand, Jamie's thoughts were far from the topics of food and sleep; she was running through all of the possible scenarios that might present themselves. She worried over what her father would do and what her mother was going to talk to her about. Fragmented ideas of her anxieties and how they would come into play swirled around in her mind, tearing at the edges of her sanity. Taking a deep breath, Jamie tried to calm herself down. Thinking about "what ifs" was getting her nowhere. Upon finally reaching the door that leads to her mother's room, Jamie paused, unsure of whether she should just walk in or ask someone else for permission first. Then, she heard her mother coughing violently from where she stood outside and made her decision based off of that. She needed to make sure that her mother was okay. It was that need that made her so surprised when she looked around her mother's room because there was no one else erected beside herself.

The only other person there was her mother, who was still coughing. After a moment of standing there in shock, she automatically ran to her mother's side at the sight of her convulsing with pain due to the tearing noises that were ripping out of her. "Mommy! What's happening?! Are you okay?" Jamie interrogated in a shrill tone, tremoring slightly as she felt her heart thud wildly in her chest, extremely distressed with what was occurring. Layla could not answer, but she still somehow managed to place her hand over her daughter's in a reassuring manner, it's warmth more calming than anything else she could have done. Layla's hand stayed there until the end of her fit; Jamie was on the verge of tears by the time her mother was finally able to speak again. "Jamie, I'm okay. More importantly, how are you, love?" Layla's scratchy yet warm tone was what sent her over the edge, and she began to sob, gripping onto her mother's hand tightly. "Oh honey, shh, it's all going to be alright, don't cry!" Layla spoke earnestly, fussing over the little girl that was collapsed against her.

All Jamie could feel in that moment was emptiness. Her mother was sick; dying. She was going to be left alone with only her father and sister for company, and she would have no one else to whom she could truly speak freely to without worry of judgment or misunderstanding. The hollowness of it all ached so badly that all she could do was cry. It felt so painful, that feeling of a warm, sharp butter knife pushing its way through her chest and into her heart. Why did everything have to hurt so much? Why couldn't she just be normal for once? No companies, no magic, no sick mothers, and no heavy presences. There would be nothing left that could possibly hurt nearly as much as what she was feeling in that moment. The naivety of not knowing just how bad things could get still remained, and Jamie was not aware of the consequences she would later have to face for letting her depression run wild and unchecked. But, for now, all she allowed space for in her head were thoughts of her concerns that were directly related to her mother. When Layla was able to gain Jamie's focus once more, all she could do was smile weakly.

Each one knew that the other held devastating news on the tips of their tongues, and neither were excited to learn what the latest tragedy to befall them would be. For Jamie, it was the extent of the brokenness that she was feeling, and for her mother...she would have to wait to find out. "Jamie," her mother began slowly, "I have something important that I need to tell you. Can you listen very carefully for me?" Layla requested, staring into her daughter's grey-toned cedar eyes, lips pinched together in a more serious expression. Jamie nodded her head once, in a jerky movement due to the anxiety that began to well up inside. Layla then sighed heavily, a look of great sorrow entering her eyes, "Jamie, you know how both me and Lucy have Celestial Spirit magic?" Jamie nodded again, more solemnly than the last, a substantial weight re-emerging from the dark recesses of envy. Why couldn't she share the same magic, like her mother and sister, or have any magic at all in the first place? It just wasn't fair.

"Well, if you pay close attention to what I am going to say next, you will be able to learn magic as well. It won't happen right away, so you will need to be patient. You won't be able to learn it or gain any powers until the time is right." As her mother continued to speak, Jamie's eyes grew wider and wider, shocked by what Layla was saying. She would learn magic, but wouldn't be able to do it until later? What was that supposed to mean? A seed of hope began to grow within her heart, shedding a small ray of light on the dark and infertile field that stretched out inside her soul. She would be able to learn magic, and that stemmed off into endless opportunities for her future! She could finally meet the standards that were set so high above her, and make her father proud. She would be strong and protect her family, just like she had promised. "Jamie? Are you listening?" Layla asked sternly, her gaze piercingly sharp as she watched her daughter jump in surprise. "Sorry mommy," Jamie mumbled quietly, leaning back off of the bed where her mother still lay.

Layla broke into a small, quiet smile that softened her hard expression, and repeated what she had said before, "The only way that you will be able to gain this magic, is if I give you the Seal of Apollo." Jamie looked at her mother quizzically, confused and unsure of what she was trying to say. Layla then sat up, grunting from the painstaking effort that it took, and lifted her shirt. There, on her stomach, was an intricate marking, swirling and connecting ancient runes into a pattern that resembled the sun. "This is the Seal of Apollo. It was a gift from the Olympians a long time ago, and I get the feeling that you will be needing it more than me." She stated in a factual tone, letting the hem of her shirt drop back down to cover her exposed skin and the seal that rested upon it. Jamie, still very confused, was uncertain of what she should say in response. Layla laughed softly, and pulled her daughter close, hugging her gently. "I know it's a lot to take in, so just be patient, okay?"

Jamie beamed at her mother, becoming more excited by the second before a new question came crashing down on her. "Wait, if you have the seal, how am I supposed to get it?" She inquired as she leaned back, worried that her mother had gotten their hopes up for nothing. Layla blinked, her blank face shifting into one of amusement, lips quirking up into a slight smirk. "Magic," she said knowingly in a deadbeat tone of voice, expression belying her true emotion. Jamie shook her head, giggling quietly, relief bubbling up instead of anxiety this time. She then started at her mother expectantly, waited for a more detailed explanation. Her mother remained silent as if that was all there was to say on the matter. After a minute of silence, Jamie became increasingly impatient. "Mommy, how exactly are we going to transfer the seal using magic? Do you know a special spell or something?" She demanded with a huff, impatience getting the best of her. "What was that I said about being patient?" Layla asked, amused. Jamie pouted in return, arms crossed over her chest, waiting for an answer to her question.

Still smiling, her mother responded calmly, "That part's a secret." Her smile turned into a smirk upon observing Jamie's affronted expression. "I'm just kidding, don't worry. The actual spell is hard to describe and even harder to actually do, depending on the type of seal that you are either shifting to a new object or removing. It takes less magic energy to simply shift it to a new target instead of completely breaking it, so there's no need to get all worked up over me using my magic." Layla explained, rubbing her daughter's arm consolingly, causing Jamie to relax. After the majority of her tension left her body, she spoke. "So, if that explains how it would work when are we actually going to do it?" Jamie asked with trepidation, worried about what the answer might entail. Her mother grinned in response, her reply boosting Jamie's spirits considerably over the matter. "As soon as we finish talking!" Layla's tone was lively, and the room seemed a little brighter. "What else did you want to tell me?" Jamie asked, her excitement audible in the tone of her voice. Layla's eyes shined with emotion as she let the words come forth from her mouth, on a path that came straight from her heart.

"Jamie, Grace, my beautiful little girl-" Jamie stiffened at the use of her first given name, surprised that her mother even used it in the first place. Everyone always just called her Jamie, unless it was in a formal or serious setting. "-you know that I love you with all my heart. Never, ever forget that, or consider it insignificant or undeserved. I need you to be strong, my love, no matter what happens, okay? Promise me; you'll be strong and protect this family, just like you promised your father." Layla pleaded, and Jamie nodded in confirmation. "I promise," she answered, posture straight and expression sober. Her mother smiled warmly at her, tears beginning to gather in the corners of her eyes. "I'm so, so proud of you. You are talented and smart and will be able to do anything if you set your mind to it. You have a great life ahead of you; remember, I will be proud of you no matter what, forever and always. I love you, darling. I love you so very much-" Her sentence broke off into a quiet sob, and she gathered her crying daughter into her arms.

They gripped each other tightly, neither one wanting the moment to end. As the flow of tears lessened and both mother and daughter regained their voices, they gradually fell apart. Both tenderness and sorrow mashed into one setting, one expression, causing emotions to overflow, pulsating throughout the room. Jamie twitched, suddenly remembering Lucy, and that she was still waiting for her turn with their mother. She looked deep into her mother's eyes, and smiled, her expression both warm and broken at the same time. "I think-" she paused, not quite ready to speak yet, "I think that I should go get Lucy for her turn with you. She's probably wondering if we're both okay, it's been so long." Her attempt at humor fell flat, but Layla smiled benignly and pulled over for one last hug before letting go, a kiss planted lovingly on her daughter's forehead. "See you later, my love," she said, voice rough from both sickness and tears.

Jamie waved weakly, and murmured her own goodbye as well, before freezing suddenly. "The seal! I almost forgot," she admitted, walking back towards her mother, "You said after we finished talking, right? So…" she trailed off uncomfortably, worried that it might not happen after all. Layla laughed faintly, tears still gathered in the corners of her eyes. "Of course, it must have slipped my mind. Come, dear, and take my hand." Jamie shuffled even closer, and reached for her mother's hand, taking it gently into her own. Layla squeezed her hand briefly before lifting up her shirt again and placing her free hand over the seal that sat on her skin. She took a deep breath, and turned to face her daughter, her expression set and determined. "Okay, Jamie, don't let go of my hand no matter what happens, got it?" Layla demanded, leaving no room for negotiation. Jamie nodded sharply, once and braced herself for whatever would come next.

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 **Ooh, a mini cliff-hanger! Thanks for reading! 3**

 **~SSA**


	6. Chapter 6: Nightmare Comes to Stay

**Hello my lovelies, I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend! Please R &R and comment any suggestions or advice you may have!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters.**

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 **Chapter 6: Nightmare Comes to Stay**

Her mother began muttering incantations under her breath, just quiet enough that Jamie could not grasp what was being said. The seal started to glow softly, before pulsating and growing brighter with each cycle of words. Golden light blazed around Layla's hand and began to creep up her arm in intricate swirls. Jamie watched as her mother began to shake, and steeled herself, not wanting to make anything worse. After all, she did promise her mother to be strong and never let go… Layla's breathing grew more ragged as she advanced, and the emanation continued to amplify. She began to yell out the incantations, radiance surging wildly and blinding Jamie's vision. She felt fire shoot up her arm, and gasped, not expecting the sudden pain. Somehow, she managed to hold onto her mother's hand, but could not help but let the cry of dismay escape from her lips. She doubled over as if she had been punched, but still kept her hand gripped around her mother's. She refused to let go and gritted her teeth as both luminosity and pain only intensified.

Although she could no longer see her mother, Jamie could still feel the tremors that were racking her body as she pushed on through the spell. With one last shout, the luminescence began to fade. Layla still held on to Jamie's hand, gripping it tightly as the last traces of brilliancy left her body and churned around her daughter's right arm. As the glare diminished, the burning in Jamie's skin sharpened, heat and agony combining in one last surge before dissolving completely. All that was left was an aching warmth, seeping farther as it continued in place of the acute pain she had felt. Jamie blinked, trying to make out her mother's figure, eyes still not working properly. When her vision came back into focus, she gasped, shocked by the labyrinthine design now creeping up her arm and settling on her shoulder. Jamie twisted, trying to get a better look, and inhaled sharply upon recognizing the pattern that coated her skin. It was the seal that she had seen on her mother, sun-shaped with interlocking runes curling over one another. "Jamie," her mother croaked, causing Jamie to flinch in surprise and bring her attention to Layla's prone figure.

"The transfer worked, love. You now have the Seal of Apollo." She congratulated, reaching up to brush her fingers along the tattoo now etched into her daughter's arm. Jamie smiled brightly and leaned forward, wrapping her arms around her mother in a soft embrace. After leaning back and brushing the hair off of Layla's forehead, planting a gentle kiss there, Jamie whispered her response. Too overcome with emotion to thank her mother properly, she continued to the next matter of business. "I'll go get Lucy now, so rest while you can, 'kay?" Jamie ordered, eyes bright and happy. Layla nodded in affirmation and flapped her hand in a shooing motion. "I'll be alright, now go tell your sister the good news!" Jamie nodded back and turned around to leave, feet pattering across the floor quietly. She paused at the door, and looked over her shoulder, "Thank you for everything, Mommy, you and this family are the best things that I could ever ask for," she admitted, and hurried out before Layla could respond. With one last "I love you" hovering in the air, the door closed behind her.

Jamie brushed the tears off of her face with the back of her hand, unsure of what to feel. She would be able to do magic, someday, but her mother wouldn't be there to see it. How was she supposed to deal with that? Just accept it? Impossible. The pain of losing her mother would stay with her forever. Why was it that, even with her mother still alive and breathing in the room behind her, it felt like she was already gone? Three and a half weeks had passed since she found out that Layla was going to die. How much longer did she have, how much more time did she have to spend with her? It was futile to guess. Jamie stared at the floor as she walked, mentally tracing the designs while she imagined herself dancing across them, following the path that they made. She looked up, pausing by the door that led to the infirmary, wondering if she should start her search for Lucy there. After all, that was where they had both slept the night before. After deciding that since she was already there, she might as well, Jamie reached out to turn the handle. She pushed the door open and smirked at the sight of Lucy curled up in bed, a tray of half-eaten food next to her.

Walking across the floor, she noticed that even though Lucy was snuggled up in a ball, her eyes were wide open. "Lucy, it's your turn to go talk to Mommy!" Jamie called, taking note of the fact that Lucy was not at all surprised by her arrival. Her twin turned her head, staring blankly at the pattern now trailing down past Jamie's right shoulder. Lucy lifted her gaze to meet Jamie's, silently demanding to know what had happened. Jamie smiled sheepishly, holding out her arm so that Lucy could inspect it. "It's a magic seal, Mommy said that it is the Seal of Apollo. Sounds fancy, huh?" Lucy rubbed the black markings with the palm of her hand, memorizing the pattern that it made. "What's the seal supposed to do?" she asked, still looking at her sister's arm. Jamie smiled brightly, exuding happiness, "It's going to help me learn magic! I'm going to be a mage, just like you and Mommy!" she said, causing Lucy snapped her head up in surprise. Her shock turned into joy in just a matter of seconds, excitement palpable as she squealed.

"Really?! That's amazing! I'm so happy for you, Jamie!" Lucy said, grabbing both of Jamie's hands with her own. "I know, right? I don't know when I'll be able to learn, but Mommy said to be patient, so it might take a while. That's okay, though, because it's worth it!" Jamie explained, still smiling. "Anyways, enough of that. It's time for you to go see Mommy!" she admonished, pulling Lucy off of the bed. "Do you want me to walk with you, or wait here?" Jamie asked, trying to read her sister's expression for any clues of how she was really feeling. Lucy was everything to her; no matter what, she would protect her. Even if that meant that she would have to subjugate herself to the disgusting world of politics, business, and lies, so be it. As long as Lucy was happy, she would be happy, and that was all that truly mattered to her. At least, that's what she tried to convince herself. Yet, underneath the burning need to protect and take care of her twin was the hurt and unsurety, the guilt and aching wish for the happiness of her own. Unable to handle those feelings, Jamie labeled them as selfish thoughts and pushed them aside, burying them as deep as she could.

"You can stay here if you want. I'll be okay walking there by myself, and you should rest some more. After all, you're still an invalid, even if you can move by yourself now." Lucy stated factually, bring her twin back to the present moment where they stood, side by side. Jamie smiled and affirmed that her sister's idea was sound. Lucy pulled her twin in for one last hug before releasing her, skipping out through the doorway and down the hall, footsteps echoing. Jamie sighed heavily, turned around, and clambered up onto the mattress. She lay there, head spinning, unsure of what to think. What was she supposed to do next? She and Lucy were able to see their mother, but how long would it last? How much time did they have left? She evened out her breathing, inhaling and exhaling deeply. Everything was going to be okay, she just had to live through this, and not give up. She had to protect Lucy, so she would keep going, for her. It was all for her twin, the other half of her soul.

Jamie knew that the absence of their mother would hurt, every second of every day. But as long as they still had each other, they would make it. She just knew it. Even if Jamie had to leave in order to protect her, Lucy would make her way through life, blessing all those around her with kindness and happiness. They would be blessed with someone who is understanding and supportive, smart and ready to do everything she could to help the people she loves. It was because Lucy was so wonderful and so beloved by her family that she knew that she would be able to make it without her. But, could Jamie make it without Lucy by her side? Maybe, as long as she knew that her sister was happy, she would be able to handle the pain that came from the separation that seemed so inevitable. As long as Lucy was happy, everything would be okay. It had to be. As for their father, Jamie would do everything within her power to support him, after all, she did love him and promise that she would do as much. Her family means everything to her, which only serves to make Jamie feel the pain of knowing she would lose her mother feel more painfully acute.

With thoughts such as these among many others, Jamie somehow managed to fall back asleep, exhaustion overtaking her. Her dreams turned into nightmares, visions of death and agony flashing through her head. She watched, horrified, as her family died over and over again, killed right in front of her. There was nothing she could do to stop it, all she could do was watch as it continued, the gory cycle unrelenting. It wasn't until she was able to move again, this time throwing herself over her family in one last act of protection, that Jamie woke up, yelling as she jolted upright. She was drenched in sweat, the sheets twisted around her and food tray on the floor, contents scattered from being kicked off the bed. She sat there, panting, propped up by her shaking arms. "Mommy," she whimpered, remnants of her nightmare still flashing before her eyes. Slowly lowering herself back down, Jamie could not stop trembling nor slow down her breathing. All she could do was lay there, reliving her nightmares, tears streaming down her face. Her eyes stared at the ceiling blankly, repeatedly focusing and unfocusing as she tried to rid herself of the little demons gripping tightly onto her thoughts.

Finally, after a long stretch of time had passed, her body began to still. Breathing heavily, Jamie closed her eyes, only to have blood flash across her vision once more. After jerking her eyes back open, she turned her head to the side to look around the room she was in. The Infirmary did not have very many beds in it; the servants tended to stay home when they got sick. So, typically only used for small cuts and burns, it wasn't occupied the vast majority of the time. Sterile walls and heavily curtained, it wasn't much of a sight to behold. Turning her eyes away from the expanse before her and looking back at the blanketed window, Jamie wondered why the curtain was closed. As she reached out to open it, dead bodies flashed before her eyes and she yanked her hand away, startled cry echoing throughout the room. After taking a deep breath, and unclenching her fists, she reached back out and opened the weighty drapes. Jamie stared out at the vast expanse of land before her, wishing that she could just run out into the woods and disappear. "Jamie! I finished talking to mommy!" Lucy called from behind her as she opened the door and walked into the room.

Jamie flinched hard, jolting away from the window and falling back down on the bed beneath her. She did her best to hide her tremoring hands by clenching them together, but Lucy knew immediately that something had happened. "Hey, are you okay?" she questioned, cautiously creeping closer. Jamie blinked, hard, trying to keep her eyes clear. "I-I'm fine," she answered, voice unstable. Lucy extended her hand, reaching to touch her twins cheek, but Jamie flinched away. Hurt and confused, Lucy took a step backward, holding her hand as if she had been burned. Jamie looked away, ashamed. As Lucy had come closer, arms hovering, she had had another flashback to her nightmare...where her sister had laid, in a pool of blood, reaching towards her twin with one final breath. "I'm sorry, I...I had an awful nightmare, and I'm still a little out of it." Jamie breathed, ducking her head so that her bangs would hide her haunted expression. Lucy then smiled gently, walking slowly to where her sister sat. She paused, then fell forwards, holding Jamie close, whispering quite reassurances into her ear. "It's okay, I'm here now. I'll always be here for you, so don't be sad. We can be together always and forever, where no nightmares can hurt us, because we'll have each other. Hear my heartbeat? Just focus on that. Breath, you don't have to be alone."

Several minutes later, Jamie had calmed down, comforted by her sister's presence. "Thanks, Lucy. I really needed that," she admitted, embarrassed by her own actions. Lucy just shook her head, warm smile under melted chocolate eyes more reassuring than anything she could have said. "You're not going to lose me," she promised, kissing Jamie's cheek lightly. She then climbed up next to her sister, and coaxed back into a lying position, snuggling up next to her, attaching herself to her twin's side. Jamie felt a couple tears roll down her face, overwhelmed by all of the negativity and then comfort and love from Lucy that was combating it. "What do you want to do for the rest of the day?" Lucy asked, trying to distract her sister and pull her out of her thoughts. "I don't know...It can't be anything too crazy, though, because I still won't be able to do much with all of these injuries," Jamie trailed off, feelings of uselessness crashing down on her as she realized that she wouldn't be able to actually do much until she was fully healed. "Hey, it's okay! How about we go raid the kitchen first, and then explore some more in the library! We haven't done that in a while," Lucy exclaimed, trying to get her twin excited about the rest of the day and all of the potentials it could hold. A ghost of a smile played across Jamie's lips; her sister's tactics appeared to be working. "Okay, let's go then!" She said, sitting up and pulling Lucy with her as she stumbled out of bed and through the infirmary door.

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 **Thank you for reading! I hope you have a wonderful week! ~SSA**


	7. Chapter 7: Death Awaits

**Hello everyone! I hope that you've been having a wonderful week! Thank you all for sticking with me! Please R &R, and feel free to PM me if you have any questions or suggestions!**

 **Special thanks to Snerfshoe for the review!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters, Hiro Mashima does!**

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 **Chapter 7: Death Awaits**

Jamie woke up late, having slept in after staying up almost all night long with Lucy. They were both in a mostly positive mindset because of their talk with Layla, which had lead to exploration and laughter. As her eyes crept open, Jamie noticed that it was still dark out. She glanced out the infirmary window that loomed next to her and took in the rain-streaked window pane and grey storm clouds that thundered above. Sighing contentedly, she shifted closer to her twin, whose body heat comforted her. Still not fully awake, Jamie listened to the rain patter and her sister breathe, satisfied with her current position in bed. Rainy days always made her sleepy when she stayed inside, but both her and Lucy loved to go out and dance under the pouring skies together. The rain had never really felt to be a negative thing, but sometimes, things just change...Jamie jolted up in shock as the infirmary door slammed open, startled by the sudden noise. Lucy rolled over, groaning as she cracked her eyes open to see what was going on.

"Jamie, Lucy! C-come quick, your father-" Mrs. Spetto broke off, gasping for breath as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes, "Your father, he needs you both to come immediately!" she shouted wheezily, still unstable to breathe properly, hands resting on her knees as she supported herself. Jamie jumped up, dragging Lucy with her as they both ran out the door and towards their father's office; that being where he usually was for any sort of important business. Her heart was pounding, thoughts racing as she tried to figure out what was going on. There was a nagging suspicion in the back of her mind, but Jamie refused to acknowledge it, hysterical at the thought of what it might mean. She faltered, a tug from her sister behind her causing her to stop and turn around. Lucy had tripped and fallen, so Jamie hurried to help her up and support her as they continued down the hallway as fast as they could. Upon reaching Jude's office, Jamie pushed the doors open hard, rushing into the room without knocking. This turned out to be a mistake, seeing as how she immediately crashed into a group of people that were blocking her way.

"Jamie, Lucy! C-come quick, your father-" Mrs. Spetto broke off, gasping for breath as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes, "Your father, he needs you both to come immediately!" she shouted wheezily, still unstable to breathe properly, hands resting on her knees as she supported herself. Jamie jumped up, dragging Lucy with her as they both ran out the door and towards their father's office; that being where he usually was for any sort of important business. Her heart was pounding, thoughts racing as she tried to figure out what was going on. There was a nagging suspicion in the back of her mind, but Jamie refused to acknowledge it, hysterical at the thought of what it might mean. She faltered, a tug from her sister behind her causing her to stop and turn around. Lucy had tripped and fallen, so Jamie hurried to help her up and support her as they continued down the hallway as fast as they could. Upon reaching Jude's office, Jamie pushed the doors open hard, rushing into the room without knocking. This turned out to be a mistake, seeing as how she immediately crashed into a group of people that were blocking her way.

After falling over like a bowling pin, she managed to gather her wits enough to call out for her father. "Daddy, where are you? What's going on?!" Jamie yelled, shaking as she looked around wildly. It couldn't be happening. Not true, not yet?! Lucy was confused and overwhelmed as she was dragged along by her sister, completely clueless as to whatever was happening around her. Pushing her way past the people in front of her, still calling her father, Jamie was feeling more and more frantic. Upon finally reaching where Jude stood, expression broken as he stood before the small crowd in front of him, Jamie practically jumped on him as she demanded answers as to what was going on. Lucy stood forgotten in the background, confused and afraid. She could feel the tension and sorrow in the air and was worried about her sister. She had seemed so very scared… "Jamie, it's been a month. Layla-" he choked on his words, tears glistening, "She's gone. I'm so sorry, honey, there was nothing that we could do to save her."

Jamie froze, her worst fears confirmed. As the world came crashing down on her, she barely registered her sister's confused shouts as she tried to figure out what was going on. Jamie stumbled forwards, hands clenched in her hair as she slumped against her father's hunched figure. Tears mixed in with sobs of disbelief and horror as her legs collapsed underneath her, emptiness and sorrow and hurt and pain and so much, too much, everything hurt. Breathing hurt, thinking hurt, and just the idea of existing in a world without her mother in it hurt so much that Jamie felt like she was being stabbed and ripped apart by the intensity of it all...her mother's death combined with her inner demons and fears that jumped on the chance to make her scream in agony, cruel and destructive creatures. How could this happen? She knew that this moment was coming, and yet, Jamie still felt completely unprepared for the guilt and anguish that the actual event of her mother's death had brought.

Even after anticipating it for a whole month...everything had felt unreal, as depressing as it had been. But to stand there, in front of her father, and be told that her mother had died? The day after she had spoken with her and received the seal? Right after her mother had used magic, all because of her...This was all her fault. Maybe, if she had refused the seal, her mother would still be alive. Maybe she would have been able to live for a whole other week! But no, Jamie felt as if she had selfishly taken that away from herself and her family all because she wanted to fit in, and be strong. So, having gained the seal, did she fit in? Was she strong now? No; in fact, Jamie felt weaker than she ever had in her entire life. As she continued to lose herself in her spiraling thoughts of despair, Jamie was pulled to her feet and lead out of the room by unknown hands, her vision unstable enough that she couldn't actually tell who was helping her. Hurt and confused, she called out for her twin, who rushed to her side.

Lucy figured that she the rest of the information she needed from Jamie, and if there was anything left to say, their father could tell them later. They both needed time after a bomb like that had been dropped on them. As Lucy helped the servants get Jamie back into the infirmary, she stroked her sister's head, doing what she could to comfort her. Mommy is dead? No. Impossible. But you heard them say it! You saw how Jamie reacted! Lucy continued to argue with herself, afraid of what the real answer would end up being, all while doing what she could to make sure that Jamie didn't fall or hurt herself. It took a while, but finally, the twins made it back to the infirmary. However, upon entering the room, Jamie recognized where she was, inducing flashbacks from her recurring nightmare that still plagued her...while in the place where she first dreamt it. Lucy, increasingly concerned as the state of her sister only seemed to worsen, called for Mrs. Spetto, hoping that she would be able to help. It took several minutes for her to arrive, because of all the chaos that was spreading like a disease throughout the estate.

Bursting in through the door, hysterical, Mrs. Spetto demanded what was wrong and if there was anything that she could do to help. Nervous and surprised, Lucy simply pointed to where her sister lay shivering and asked if the kind old maid would help her bring Jamie back to their room. Relieved that nothing horrendously serious had happened, Mrs. Spetto was happy to oblige. Shoving her way down the hall, the loyal maid was extremely careful with her precious, shaking cargo. When they finally made it back to the room, Jamie was placed lovingly upon her bed, Lucy rushing to her side. Mrs. Spetto then left, saying that she would bring them some breakfast soon, and not to worry. Everything was going to be okay. Being left alone in each other's company once more, the twins were both relieved to be in a quieter, less stressful setting. Lucy plopped down next to her sister, wrapping her arms around her comfortingly. She reminded her to take deep breaths and to try to stay present. It took a long time, but eventually, Jamie was able to stop shaking and calm down.

"Lucy, what are we going to do?" she asked, voice tremouring to the point where it was hard to make out what she had said. "What do you mean?" Lucy shot back, afraid of what her sister had meant by that question. Jamie turned her head to face her sister's, eyes dull and hollow, tears trickling down her face as she seemed to register Lucy's question. "What will we do without Mommy?" she demanded, voice strained as she tried to speak more clearly. For Lucy, that one question sent the world crashing to her feet, everything reeling as her mind reorganized itself around her, the events of the past month taking on a darker, more meaningful cast. Jamie had known, her father had known, her mom knew...that she would die. So why was she the only one who didn't? Was she not trustworthy enough? She felt as if she was falling, head spinning as she tried to come up for breath, terrified that she would drown in the ocean of chaos that surrounded her... Their mother? Gone? How was this even happening?! She lifted her gaze from her now shaking hands to look up at Jamie, who had gotten her attention with a gentle tap.

"Lucy, I'm so sorry. I really wanted to tell you but, I couldn't. I'm sorry that she's gone, and I'm sorry that I have failed you so many times over this past month." Jamie scooted closer to her twin, hesitantly snuggling closer, trying to do what she could to comfort her while they both felt crippled by the crushing pain that was suffocating them both. Drowning, drowning, water rushing in their lungs as they tried to stay afloat...Lucy later managed to respond and assured her sobbing sister that she had done nothing wrong. They stayed closely interlocked, trying their best to find solace in one another. The maids were thoughtful enough to bring them both breakfast and dinner, but neither one was able to eat anything. They spent the rest of the day and all of the next alone in that room, world darkening with every second that seemed to pass. Unable to do anything but cry, the pair allowed themselves to wallow in their grief and mourning. It was their birthday; August 1st. The day after their mother died. The fact that if she had lived even one day longer, they could have spent the day with her and celebrated only made the hurt they felt more intense.

They were now ten years old; only ten, yet already feeling so broken...Jamie couldn't believe that this was really happening. Her mother was gone; for real this time. The next week passed both slowly, and in a flash. Every moment seemed to extend for years, but it still felt like only seconds had passed since they were in their father's office, hearing of Layla's death for the first time. Well, first time for Lucy, at least. Jamie had known… which only made it harder to hear that it had actually happened. Questions of doubt filled her mind as she tried to make it through the day, one coming after the other...why couldn't it just stop? Why did she have to stay when her presence only seemed to make things worse? No. I have to stay for Lucy...she thought, still unable to completely convince herself. It was on the eighth day after her mother had died, August 8th, that Mrs. Spetto came to visit both her and her twin. With a quiet knock and slow, shuffling feet, she entered in through the doorway, head bowed in grief. "Jamie, Lucy, my darlings, I have important news from both your father and I," she mumbled, only speaking just clearly enough for the twins to make out what was being said. Jamie stared at her, incredulous. Why couldn't their father come to tell them himself?! "What is it, Mrs. Spetto?" She asked blankly, voice quiet and slightly strained. "Well…" she began.

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 **I hope that you liked it! Have a wonderful weekend~**

 **-SSA**


	8. Chapter 8: The Funeral

**Hello all! Thanks for sticking with me for another chapter! I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving and a lovely rest of autumn!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

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 **Chapter 8: The Funeral**

"Well…" she began, sighing heavily, "Miss Layla will be buried tomorrow... and there's going to be a funeral. The first part will probably have a lot of people; your mother was beloved by many, but the second part will only be you and the people who knew her better, like Grammy, Zoldeo, and me." she rubbed the bridge of her nose with one hand, the other bracing her back as she avoided Jamie's gaze, already knowing of its negativity. "What will we wear?" Jamie asked, irritated over the fact that her father hadn't come to visit or even speak to her over the past week since her mother died. Mrs. Spetto twitched, surprised by Jamie's question. She had been expecting tears, being ignored, or anger, but nonchalance? No. "What?" she asked, bewildered by the lack of a more emotional response. Jamie blinked slowly, the corner of her mouth turned downwards as she tiredly attempted to explain herself. "What will Lucy and I wear for the funeral? All of the clothes that we have would not be appropriate in coloring or design. Plus, how are the seamstresses going to make two black dresses overnight?" she demanded, doing the best she could to sound brave in front of her sister.

In all honesty, Jamie was ready to break down and cry, not stand up to the kind old maid that she had known her whole life...but she had to be strong. If she started to cry, Lucy would only feel worse. She had to protect her, even if that meant forcing herself to look calm and coherent when all she wanted to do was scream; so be it. Tomorrow, her mother would be buried, deep in the cold, unforgiving earth. Jamie would never see her again, not in person. She had heard a maid talking about a stone sculpture that would be the headstone of her mother's grave, but Jamie still wasn't sure of what exactly that would mean. How would they all move on from this? How would it be possible to live, think, and breathe without the pain of losing Layla still fresh in her mind? It wouldn't be something that Jamie would ever be able to forget; that pain, that aching sense of loss. So, with much weighing on her mind, she waited expectantly for an answer from the bewildered maid perched in front of her.

"A dress...black, yes, that would be important-" Mrs. Spetto paused, smiling kindly at the two young girls before her, speaking in a warm, reassuring tone, "Don't worry, love, me and the seamstresses will figure it all out. Just make sure that you and your sister get lots of rest; tomorrow is going to be a very long day." Looking over the two one last time, she nodded to herself in confirmation. Everything was alright, well, as much as it could be. There was no need for her extended presence, so with a slight bow of the head, Mrs. Spetto left the twins alone once more, dark thoughts looming over the both of them. Jamie turned, trying to make out the expression on Lucy's face, only to sigh when she realized that her sister had slunk silently away to the bathroom soon after Mrs. Spetto left. She had probably realized that Jamie would try to talk to her and just wasn't ready. Jamie let herself fall back onto her bed, grunting as her body made contact. What should I do now, she wondered, scrambling for a solution, terrified of not being able to find one. Whether she could sort out her chaotic thoughts made little difference in how Lucy would feel at the funeral tomorrow...but would still most likely benefit her in some way at some point.

A quiet creak and swish of the bathroom door alerted Jamie to her sister's presence, causing her to jolt back up hurriedly, vision going dark and balance unstable. As she stumbled, Lucy rushed over to help regain her balance, hands shaking as she made sure that Jamie was uninjured. Her life had been risked too many times for her twin to be comfortable with something as simple as a fall, especially when Jamie's head was still wrapped in bandages. They both then sat down on Jamie's bed, arms now wrapped around each other protectively, one worried about physical safety and the other concerned for mental and emotional health. Both opinions were valid, and yet, would be more complete if combined. There was good reason to worry over all aspects of their health and safety, especially when they were both already suffering so much. It was beginning to get dark outside, so as Jamie looked out of the window and admired the sunset, she prayed for her little family, wishing with all her heart that everything would turn out okay.

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It was only lunchtime and the chaos of Layla's funeral was already setting in, the overall tone of the atmosphere becoming increasingly frantic as time went on. Maids and servants were bustling every which way, often bumping into one another as they tried to get everything ready as quickly as possible. Mrs. Spetto could be seen most frequently, darting all over the place as she tried to orchestrate the whole thing. Jude, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found. It didn't matter where Jamie went, weaving through the crowds of staff members all over the mansion; she couldn't find him anywhere. The only place left to look; his office, the glaring problem with that being the fact that she wasn't allowed in there unless she was summoned by her father, or if she got immediate permission from the butler who was always right outside his door. Already knowing that she wouldn't be able to even get close to his office without getting caught, Jamie gave up on trying to find him. He probably was busy with work anyways, just like he had been, starting a while before her mother had died.

In the end, she had a hard time blaming him for it, no matter how irritating it was. Jude was suffering just as much as she was, if not more since he had known her for so much longer. There was nothing to be gained from blaming a seemingly broken man beside satisfaction, and even that felt horribly twisted from the truth. Jamie sighed as she found herself wandering back to her and Lucy's room, wondering how she could possibly feel so weighed down and empty at the same time. Logically, her brain told her that emptiness shouldn't carry weight, and yet there she stood, overwhelmed by the intensity with which she felt both sensations, trying to figure out how it was possible to even feel that way in the first place. Forcing herself to keep moving, she managed to shuffle her way back to her bedroom, barely able to convince herself to open the door and walk in. It felt like she had been gutted to her very core every time she saw Lucy curled up into a ball again, sobbing. This time, however, she was greeted with the sight of her sister staring blankly at two black dresses that were laid out on their beds. They were simply made, but pretty nonetheless, and looked warm enough to wear outside.

"Lucy?" Jamie called, trying to catch her twin's attention, almost flinching when Lucy's dull gaze turned on her instead of the offending outfit laid before her. Jamie slowly walked closer, hesitant as she reached out for her sibling and pulled her into a tight hug. "What do you think about the dresses?" she asked, doing the first thing that came to mind when she thought of distracting her sister; mention clothes or books. A little bit of life came back to Lucy's expression as she responded, looking at least somewhat satisfied with the selection that had been made for them. "At least we'll be able to stay warm and look good at the same time!" she exclaimed teasingly, knowing Jamie's aversion to any sort of ornate or revealing ensemble. While not revealing, she already knew that Jamie hated wearing anything black or frilly, and the dresses that were before them fit in both of those categories. Jamie grunted in response, a smile that looked more like a grimace than anything else plastered on her face. She turned to look at the dress that she would be wearing, sniffing in distaste as she took in the layers upon layers of frills, starting under her bust and ending just below her knees with the rest of it.

She rolled her eyes as Lucy giggled at her reaction, changing the subject for her own sake this time. "When should we start getting ready?" she asked reluctantly, not ready to even try to put on the black floof of frills that was mocking her with it's poofiness. Lucy was still laughing at her when she answered that they were supposed to try on the dresses immediately so that if there were any necessary changes to be made, there would be enough time to do so. She laughed even harder when she saw Jamie's face scrunch up in distaste, abruptly stopping when their door slammed open forcefully. They both flinched, whirling around to see what was happening, startled by the sudden noise. There, in the doorway, stood a fuming maid. She was one of the more grumpy ones, that didn't say anything much save for a snarky comment here or there. She was fuming with anger, breathing spastically as she yelled at the twins between gasps of air. "What in tarnation do you two think you are doing?! I get sent, rudely I might add, all the way over here to make sure you're both getting ready so you won't be late to your own mama's funeral, and I come in to find you two bucket heads laughing?! Before a funeral?! No wonder the Heartfilia's are going down in the ranks; with all of the bad luck you little gremlins are causing, it'd be enough to shut down this company for good," she finished with a shill exclamation, face twisted with a nasty sneer.

By the time she had completed her sudden and unprecedented rant, Jamie and Lucy were both in tears. Jamie had turned to block the volatile servant from seeing her twin, holding her close protectively as she tried to keep Lucy from getting hurt. As soon as she felt tears soak into the back of her dress, she whirled around, hugging Lucy tightly as she tried to console her. Pulling away only moments later, she turned back to face the maid who had started to yell upon Jamie ignoring her to check on her sister. With a lethal glint in her eyes as she stormed over to where the maid still stood, speaking in a tightly controlled voice, full of tension and a commanding aura. "Who the heck do you think you are?! Get. Out. We will come out when we are ready; leave." With a small shove, Jamie pushed her out of the room and slammed the door in her face so hard that the walls around them rattled. Still outraged by what had just occurred, she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before attempting to talk to Lucy again. Looking at her with a much softer expression, Jamie gently asked if she was okay, unable to understand her sister's tearful response to what had happened. Taking her carefully into her arms once more, she held Lucy close as she tried to calm her down.

Several minutes later, they were both feeling better enough to work on getting ready. Jamie tried to lighten the mood with a sarcastic comment about how she felt like a gothic Christmas tree, but all she got was half of a wet smile that was obviously forced. After they both finished getting dressed and putting on shoes for the funeral, Jamie steeled herself to protect them both if the hostile maid was still waiting for them outside the door, hands shaking as she turned the knob and nudged it open, peeking out to check for any signs of danger. Seeing a mostly empty hallway, she pushed it open the rest of the way, letting out a breath of relief when she observed that the person waiting for them was, in fact, Mrs. Spetto. "Jamie, Lucy, you both look lovely! I heard about what happened with that awful maid, but don't worry, you'll won't have to see her ever again. Now, how about we head on down to the main entrance where your father is waiting for you both, alright?" she spoke earnestly, checking the two over to make sure that they were both okay, then giving a warm smile, and ushering the twins down the hallway, a flight of stairs, and through a shortcut in the kitchen to get them to the grand entryway as fast as possible.

At some point, Jamie had shot an accusing look to her sister, demanding why she had been given false information with a teasing lilt to her voice, the only response being a small smile and a shake of the head from Lucy, who quietly apologized for being wrong about the time. All too soon, they stumbled to a halt as they finally reached the ornately carved wooden double doors where a large group of people was gathered. Feeling uncomfortable with all of the hushed whispers and pitying stares that were directed at them, the twins stood close together, gripping each other's hands tightly. When Jamie and Lucy reached the fairly sized crowd, the doors swung open, letting in a cool breeze of air. As they walked outside, Jamie became increasingly confused; wasn't she supposed to be feeling sad? Her mother died, and yet, all she could feel as her feet dragged across the wet grass was numbing emptiness. Did that count as being sad? She wasn't sure...when the procession reached its destination, the ornate coffin carrying her mother was lowered into the stone casing, directly underneath a beautifully detailed stone carving of Layla, with the wings and presence of an angel.

With a quiet rumble, the overcast skies began to cry along with everyone else as people spoke, telling moving stories of how wonderful and kind Layla was. Umbrellas were lifted and opened, in hopes of staying dry as the rain only worsened. After the priest gave the closing speech, the congregation of people began to disperse, most coming up to where Jamie and Lucy stood beside their father and giving condolences. Jude nodded his head silently in response to the well-wishers, hands clasped as held himself together for the sake of his reputation. After everyone had left besides Mrs. Spetto, Grammi, Zoldeo, and a couple others who Jamie didn't know. They all stood there in a semi-circle around the front of the grave, when Mrs. Spetto beckoned Lucy over, reaching out for her hand. When Lucy joined the half circle of people, they all held hands and began to chant. A golden glow began to shine from each of them, Lucy being the brightest as they continued the spell. Moments later, twelve beams of light shot down from the sky, one in front and the others gathered behind. When the light dimmed, Jamie was able to recognize Aquarius at the front and all of the other zodiac key spirits around her.

Their sorrow was palpable as they each walked forwards and gave Layla their goodbyes, each going back to their original position when finished. Aquarius was the last spirit to speak, fierce tears gathering in her eyes as she shouted at the grave before her. "You stupid, stupid woman!? I can't believe that you could possibly be so reckless, but here I stand, proven wrong. How could you leave your family behind like this? They all miss you, can't you see?! I miss you…" she broke off with a huff, arms trembling as she finished her goodbye, "Don't worry though, I'll still be here with them." With a broken smile, she went back to where she had appeared, tears streaming down her face. "We all love you, Layla," was the last thing that Aquarius said, an explosion of golden radiance blasting upwards into the heavens, forming twelve beams as the spirits disappeared back into their realm. The light died down once more, leaving the mages who had summoned the twelve Zodiac keys exhausted. Lucy collapsed against Mrs. Spetto's side, and Zoldeo, as well as a couple others, fell to their knees. What they had done was an incredible feat, their last gift the woman who had blessed them all so much. Lucy was swept up into Mrs. Spetto's arms and carried back inside with Jamie hot on her heels.

When they made it back into the twins' room, Lucy was set gently on her bed with instructions to rest for the next couple of days. As soon as the kind old maid left, Jamie began to pepper her sister with questions, "What was that, Lucy? Why didn't you tell me about it? How is it even possible to summon all twelve keys in the first place? Are you feeling okay? Next time you decide to do something crazy like that, please tell me first, okay?" only stopping when Lucy groaned in protest of the interrogation she was receiving. Jamie then sighed heavily, laying down next to her twin and pulling up the warm covers around them. They were both still cold and a little bit wet, already having taken off their black dresses. Snuggled close together, Jamie and Lucy spoke in hushed whispers of anything they could remember about their mom, tears spilling as they recounted all of the different adventures they had gone on together. At some point, Lucy had fallen asleep in Jamie's arms as she was telling a story, unable to stay awake any longer. With dried tears crusting around her swollen eyes, Lucy looked devastated, even in her sleep. Jamie studied her sisters face, wiping away any stray tears that were left, and eventually fell asleep as well, hand still resting on Lucy's cheek.

* * *

 **Thank you for reading! Please R &R, and have a wonderful day.**

 **~SSA**


	9. Chapter 9: The Aftermath

**Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful week, and I wish you a relaxing weekend. Thanks for sticking with this story so far!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: The Aftermath**

It had already been a couple days since her mother's funeral, and Jamie still hadn't spoken to her father yet. That's not to say that she didn't try; she most certainly did, but Jude was never where she looked or she got caught before she could find him. Jamie was exploring the mansion once again, aimlessly walking around; she had given up on finding her father. She still wasn't sure why she had put so much effort into looking for him. Maybe it was because she felt as if his presence or comforting words would somehow fill the emptiness and lighten the weight that refused to leave her. Maybe it was because she still felt angry over the fact that he still had yet to speak to her and Lucy since her mother died. Or, maybe, it was simply a distraction. A way to keep her busy, and to have some space and a spare moment away from the sorrow that was palpable as soon as you neared Lucy...her twin. _However, once that distraction becomes a reality, what are you supposed to do next?_ That was the only thought running through Jamie's mind as she came to a stop by the library, shocked to see her father looking straight at her as he strode down the hall.

"Dad? Where have you been?" she demanded, trying to make herself seem bigger as if that would make him stop and talk to her. "Jamie," Jude sighed, a slight edge to his voice, "What's going on? The servants have begun to complain over your incessant wandering and looking for me. Can't you see that I'm busy? I love you, but I simply do not have time to waste on you and your sister right now!" Jamie froze as her father's words sunk in, stinging like a thousand cuts bathed in lemon juice as she stared blankly in front of her, tears welling up in her eyes. A waste of time? Is that all she was to him; a burden too difficult to deal with? If that was the truth, how could he say that he loved her? Was she just misinterpreting what he meant? Yes, that had to be it. Jude would never say something like that to her, it just wasn't like him. Finally pulling herself out of a daze, Jamie focused on her father again as he called her name with increasing volume. "Jamie! Are you even listening to me?" Jude asked, face slipping into a scowl as he stared heavily at her from where he stood. Jamie managed a faint smile for him, answering quietly, "Sorry, yes, I heard you, Papa. I'll...I will go to the library and study for a while. I'm sorry for bothering you."

With a slightly surprised expression flashing across his face, Jude cleared his throat, nodded his head at Jamie, and walked past her with hurried steps. "I'm sorry I can't be a better daughter for you, Papa," she whispered, looking over her shoulder as her father plodded away in search of the refuge found in his office. A tear came and went from her eye, running down her cheek even as Jude seemed to run away from her. _What did I do wrong?_ Jamie asked herself, forcing her legs to take her to her hideout in the very back corner, one shaky footstep after the other. Unfocused as she was, Jamie found herself walking to her mother's chair, where she used to sit and read to her and Lucy. They spent so much time there, together, and now...now that chair was most likely going to stay empty for a long, long time. With a sharp shake of her head, Jamie pulled herself back to the present, grounding her body and stretching her back up tall. She looked up at the high, vaulted ceiling, admiring the beautiful woodwork that always seemed to inspire her. Heaving a deep sigh, she made her way over to her original destination; her hidden fort. Trying to rid herself of dark thoughts, Jamie found her steps sinking deeper and deeper as the weight inside only grew and pulled her down even further. Where did such a deep and abiding sadness even come from? It began long before her mother died...is this what they call depression?

* * *

After that point, time became a very abstract concept to Jamie as she threw herself into her studies (outwardly) and often caught herself just staring, at nothing. It never was a specific point, and often seemed to shift places, and yet, she stared on, blankly, lost in the abyss of thought. Jamie was able to do very well with her work, and to the passing spectator, she looked like she was recovering well from both her injury and her mother's death. However, to Lucy, it seemed as if there was something off about her sister. She had gradually become just a little quieter, just a little less present, and constantly seemed to be somewhere, anywhere, but where she stood, book open in her lap. Lucy didn't understand, so she chalked it up to grief, and left it at that. There was no need to worry about Jamie, she could take care of herself. After all, isn't that what she seemed to be best at? Taking care of the people around her? As long as she was smiling, it meant that everything would be alright. But...hadn't her smiles seem forced? No. Jamie would be fine, Papa would be fine, and they would all make it through this.

Jamie, however, was completely oblivious to her sister's internal debate. To her, Lucy was the oblivious one, and for that, she was, to some extent, grateful. Her problems would remain her own, and Lucy wouldn't have her as an added stressor to her life. As her workload only seemed to increase, Jamie became more stressed and anxious about her performance and whether or not what she was doing was good enough for her father. She pushed herself to stay up into the early hours of the morning, trying to make everything that she did perfectly. After all, that's what everyone seemed to expect from her. It didn't matter that she was struggling internally, at least not to her father, that is. Jamie was studying business finance, higher mathematics, two different foreign languages, music composition, and many other subjects, including the history of Fiore and its allies. It didn't matter that she was only ten years old, she was expected to rise to whatever challenge was presented to her. Of course, all of the material she was learning was at a lower level than what she would be expected to learn later. This was the basics and was manageable for someone with a quick enough mind. With all of the reading and writing Jamie did, it was hard not to be somewhat advanced.

It was already the 22nd, a full three weeks since her mother had died, and her head injury was finally completely healed. Jamie had, apparently, gained a concussion as well as the gash on her face from the initial laceration. After taking off the bandages and looking in the mirror for the first time, Jamie was shocked to see the big, bright pink fleshy scar that marred the right side of her face. Suddenly feeling sick to her stomach, she tore her sight away from her reflection and collapsed against the wall, holding her knees to her chest as she began to weep. Not only had she lost her mother and had her father distance himself from her, but now, she had to be ugly as well. At least, that's what she and all of the maids who saw her thought. Her father was obviously disgusted by it when he finally saw it in passing, but Lucy was the only one who thought differently. She earnestly told her sister that she thought it looked wicked cool and that she should be proud to have such an awesome scar. No one believed her, not even Jamie, the one who she had tried her very hardest to convince.

Being overwhelmed by shame, Jamie became even more isolated as she tried to distance herself from everyone around her, afraid of their judgment and sick of their pity. The wide-eyed looks of shock and sympathy were enough to make her feel sick, and the whispers that always followed her around never helped. The only person who was able to spend more than a couple minutes with Jamie was her twin, who ended up being the only person who could look at her sister as if nothing about her appearance had changed. Sometimes, she could be caught admiring the scar, but Lucy tried to avoid staring, knowing that it only made Jamie feel uncomfortable and extremely self-conscious. However, they both could feel a deep sense of foreboding as the date of the first official "gathering", of sorts, drew nearer. Banquets meant people, and people meant stares, rude comments, and enough gossip to last the next several months. It didn't use to be that bad, but as the twins grew older, the more scandalous the rumors became. Jamie had her first panic attack the night before, hyperventilating, shaking, and unable to breathe. Lucy was terrified, thinking that it was something along the lines of a heart attack, and desperately called Mrs. Spetto, who soon realized what was really going on.

* * *

The banquet was just as traumatizing as Jamie had expected it to be, if not even more so. The amount of gawking and loud murmurs that followed her no matter where she went brought her to the verge of tears, but it was the looks of pure disgust and revulsion that pushed over the edge. Lucy tried her best to be supportive and comforting, but there was nothing that she could do to ease the hurt and anxiety that came from public humiliation such as her sister had experienced. Not only that, but as if the banquet wasn't damaging enough, her father was the one who dealt the final, fatal blow. He summoned Jamie to his office after everyone had left, giving her no time to collect herself, and sharply berated her for not hiding the scar. She tried to protest, attempting to explain that she wasn't allowed to put any sort of concealer on it at that stage. At this, he erupted, face turning pink and staring her down with the veins in his forehead throbbing visibly. Now reprimanding her for "talking back" and "being rude", he dismissed her with one last scathing look, bellowing at the servants to find something that could cover his daughter's "horrendous" scar.

Yet, somehow, the scar that hurt the most was the one that he had given her, emotionally, rather than the one she bore on her face. Jamie couldn't sleep that night, mind reeling as she tried to figure out what she would do next. Her father hadn't seen the seal that her mother gave her; she didn't even know if he knew it existed. She already knew that her scar looked awful, but that didn't mean that her father had to yell at her over something that she couldn't control. It wasn't fair, and yet, Jamie felt herself wonder...did she deserve that? Was she just being selfish? Her father was probably just trying to protect her, right? That had to be it, there was no other explanation that made any real sense. Even after convincing herself of that answer, Jamie still couldn't seem to fall asleep, staring up at the ceiling for what felt like hours. Finally giving up on sleep, she walked over to the balcony, slipped out through the sliding door, and gripped the railing in front of her. She stared out across to estate's land; garden, village, forest, and courtyard.

Then, Jamie turned her gaze heavenwards, squinting to make out the different constellations that hung above her in the air. After finding all of the zodiacs that were visible during that time of year, she turned her attention to the minor stars, having found that she felt closer to her mother when she looked up at the night sky. It reminded her of all the times she and Lucy would stay up late with their mother, who taught them how to identify many of the different constellations that could be found if you knew where to look. Eventually, after losing all feeling in her fingers, face, and toes, Jamie looked to the north star. Taking comfort in its consistency, she turned and shuffled back inside, shivering from the cold. After padding quietly back over to her bed, she peeked over at Lucy, checking if she was still asleep. Upon recognizing the even breathing patterns and still position, Jamie sighed in relief. The last thing she wanted to be doing now, was cost her sister precious sleep as well. Finally settled back into her warm cocoon of blankets, she heaved another sigh and closed her eyes, finally drifting off into an uneasy sleep.

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 **Thank you so much for reading, please R &R!**

 **~SSA**


	10. Chapter 10: The Conflict Grows

**Hello everyone! I would like to give special thanks to snerfshoe for commenting, and I hope you have been having a wonderful week!**

 **Warning: There will be brief mentions of self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and domestic violence in this chapter, so use discretion. There will be a note in bold before and after they are mentioned for people wanting to avoid it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: The Conflict Grows**

A month had passed since the banquet, and it was now November in a world of snow and ice. It was the 10th, and Jamie had been summoned to her father's office once again. After the argument over her scar, she had been given a special cream that would help heal her scar while hiding it completely from view. Even with the renewed confidence that it had brought in her appearance, Jamie still felt as if she was hiding a secret from the world; an ugly one. She was glad it was getting cold out; it gave her an excuse to wear long sleeves that would hide her seal. She found that Jude really didn't know that her mother even had it in the first place, and decided that if Layla didn't tell her father, then there must have been a reason, and kept quiet about it. Only Lucy knew, but she also never brought it up unless they were alone. So, dress fluttering behind her as she strode down the hallway, Jamie tried to focus and ground herself. Whatever she had been summoned for wouldn't mean anything good, so preparing herself would be in her best interest, especially when taking her father's irregular behavior into consideration.

Taking a deep breath, Jamie opened the door to her father's office after a giving it a soft knock. However, her steps faltered as his figure became clearer as she came closer, heart beating faster at the enraged expression that was twisting his face into a horrifying mask of anger. "Papa, you called for me?" she asked softly, scared of how he would answer. "Jamie. Do you have any idea of what you've done?!" Jude demanded, voice tense and tightly controlled as he attempted not to yell. Jamie flinched, taking a step backward, whimpering out a quiet and confused "no" in response. At this, his rage only seemed to grow. Jude slammed his hands onto his desk with a loud crash, scattering the piles of carefully organized papers that were now strewn across its surface. Jamie did not understand what he was saying as he shouted at her, his voice sharp and piercing, and black dots swam before her eyes as her vision became unfocused. Terror gripped at her, seizing her heart and brain, breath speeding out of her control as she cowered before the man who stood before her. This only made her father angrier, obvious by his abandonment of control, now bellowing at his daughter.

Still unsure of what she had done to incur such wrath, Jamie stumbled and fell to the floor. She sat there, shaking with fear and anxiety, tears pouring down her cheeks. Several minutes later, Jude had stopped yelling and was out of breath. Jamie risked a glance up at his face and was surprised to see a tired, defeated look there as he wiped his hand across it. "Jamie, you need to work harder. You need to be ready for when you will start helping me more with this business, and that needs to be your focus. No more wasting time on useless things like poetry and art; any attempt you make at it is pathetic anyway." Sitting back down heavily, he cleared the space in front of him, resting his elbows there before making one final statement. "Just go, and make sure to study hard. Do not disappoint me again. Oh, and don't be surprised when I start calling you by your first name, Grace, it sounds more sophisticated than that childish nickname anyways." Heartbroken and confused, Jamie stumbled to her feet, muttering a choked goodbye as she rushed out through the doorway, body trembling. She had never been so afraid of her father and would do everything that she could to keep that from happening ever again.

* * *

After the intense confrontation Jamie had with her father, she went back to her room only to find Lucy crying. Still sobbing herself, she rushed over and threw her arms around her sister, both breathing raggedly as they cried together. It took a while for them to calm down, but once they did, a serious conversation ensued. Jamie told her twin a little of what had happened with their father, and mostly conveyed her confusion and determination to make sure that nothing like that would happen anytime soon. Lucy, on the other hand, confessed that she had been crying because of how lonely she felt. Jamie was always so busy, and without Layla or their father present, the only person that she could spend time with was the mansion's staff. Feeling horrible for having spent enough time with her sister, Jamie promised that she would do what she could to make sure that Lucy wouldn't have to feel that way anymore.

The only problem was that between her now increasingly intense schedule, what with her studies and making sure that she spent time with Lucy, the only time that she truly had to herself was when she was supposed to be asleep. This meant that she was beginning to sleep less and less, spending her time writing, drawing, or reading. Not that she would have been able to fall asleep anyways... Jamie would have made music as well, but she already had time for that fit into her schedule during the day. Apparently, her father thought that it was a convenient skill to have, even if she didn't have very many opportunities to use it in public. Besides, she didn't want to accidentally wake up Lucy or anyone else who might have come across her or heard her from afar. The thing that was currently weighing the heaviest on her mind was the topic of what would happen for Christmas that year. Her father had mentioned being away for business for the couple weeks during which it would take place, and Jamie was worried about how Lucy would react. It would be their first Christmas without their mother, and to have Jude gone as well would be too much for either of them to bear.

As a result, Jamie confronted her father over his plans, hoping to be able to convince him to stay with them, as a family. He flat out refused. Jamie spent the next several minutes trying to convince him, giving every explanation and reason that she could think of, but nothing was working. Finally, after silence began to lapse, Jamie had an idea. If she offered something in return, to replace the time and work that would be lost...she might have a better chance. "Father, what if I did more publicity work? I could help make up some of the lost time that you would spend at home instead," she stated tentatively, searching Jude's face for a reaction. He sighed heavily, rubbing the bridge of his nose with one hand while the other was planted on his desk for balance. After taking a deep breath and straightening out his coat, her father responded testily. "If you are willing to put in a lot of work and effort with those publicity proposals that I gave you, then I might be able to consider staying for Christmas." Jamie's face lit up, hoping that maybe things would work out after all, before crashing again.

The proposals that he had given her...were all with people that she hated being around. It would be extremely taxing to even hold a simple conversation with them, let alone use whatever propaganda techniques that her father expected of her. But if dealing with all of that meant that her father would be there for Christmas...it would be worth it. At the very least, she would be doing it for Lucy. So, holding her head up high and looking her father square in the eye, Jamie spoke, "If that is what it takes, then I will do it." With a sharp nod, Jude acknowledged her agreement and began to talk through the details of how that would change both of their schedules. For the rest of the month, Jamie would be very busy- but not with anything that she enjoyed. By the end of the next week, however, things were going downhill quickly. What her father expected of her was completely unrealistic, and when you took into account her social anxiety, practically impossible. He wanted her to discuss and promote the Heartfilia Railways with sneering pompous women and leering older husbands, whose very presence was enough to spike her anxiety to the point where she would start shaking.

Because of this, another fight between father and daughter ensued, this time much worse than the first. Both Jamie and her father were shouting, her almost in tears, Jude on the verge of snapping. "You were the one who said you would do whatever it took to keep us together for Christmas, and only a week later you're going back on your word?!" He bellowed, towering over Jamie as he pointed his finger furiously in her face. She retorted that she was only asking for reasonable alterations when it happened...her father yelled in anger, gesturing wildly as he stormed even closer to his daughter, accidentally hitting her across the side of her head. Then, a shocked silence fell, surprise flickering over Jude's face briefly before hardening again into determination. "Leave, I'll discuss this more with you later. You will meet with Duke Everlue and his circle of supporters, or face the consequences. That is all." With a dismissive wave of his hand, her father turned and sat back down at his desk. Jamie was standing there, shocked still, clutching her head where he had hit her. He didn't even acknowledge what he did, let alone apologize. Tears finally escaping her eyes, she turned and ran out of her father's office, seeking refuge in the library once more.

* * *

Christmas had gone horribly, and the begging of the next year wasn't much better. Jamie shook her head, attempting to rid her thoughts of the dark tint that often seemed to accompany them, especially when she found that she was alone. Echoes of guilt and despair bounced around inside of her mind, relentless and achingly poignant. Her failure, her doubts, her insecurities...they threatened to swallow her whole. All these things as well as many mothers, each darker than the last, were crowded inside the lead box that sat at the bottom of the pit in Jamie's heart. Each new mistake, every single self-deprecating thought, they all were sent to that box, which grew heavier and heavier, volatile due to the large amount of emotions, thoughts, and ideas; all locked in that little lead box, sinking deeper and deeper as time went on. There was no one who could see the effect it had on her because out of the only two people who could truly understand or care, one was dead and the other, while physically close, was never truly there. Layla, her mother, and Lucy, her twin sister. The thought of her father did not even occur as a possible option; it was impossible.

 **Trigger Warning**

Even if he did still love her, somewhere hidden inside, he would never be able to understand. Jamie snorted, shaking her head at the ludicrous thought. Her father, listen to her? No! Before Layla died, maybe, but now? She laughed hollowly at the thought, bitterness giving the sound a biting edge as she forced her focus back to the present, where her studies lay tauntingly in front of her. Jamie had to finish the assignment, and soon unless she wanted to face the wrath of her father...At first, it had just been scathing comments and disappointed angry stares, but now? All it took was one particularly irritating mistake on her part, and she would be left with bruises that lasted for days, hidden underneath her dresses and makeup. The first time he hit her had been accidental, but he still did not apologize. The second time, a couple days later, was no accident, and things only got worse from there.

While Jude was still careful enough to keep from doing anything that would have lasting damage, it didn't make the pure betrayal of it all sting any less. He was her father, for gods' sake! How- how could anyone even think of doing that to their child… it hurt. It hurt _sosobad_ and was _alwaystherenevergonewhywouldn'titjustleaveheralone_ and made her _cryandcryandcutandscream_...there was no relief to be found. So, she drowned herself in the tasks forced upon her, occasionally coming up for a breath of air by the means of music or writing or art… But even those things hurt her. After Jude had caught her drawing one day, instead of working on some random statistical paper, he yelled at her, lecturing about how art was a waste of time, and that it looked horrible anyway and the only way she would get anywhere in life would be off of what he had painstakingly built only to be treated so selfishly by his ungrateful daughter...it was a painful memory, one that caused her to hesitate before picking up a pen, doubt and guilt engulfing her.

Even so, Jamie refused to let any of that keep her from doing the things she loved, even if that meant staying up till 4 in the morning, hiding her sketchbook and journal. Not that she would have been able to sleep anyways; her insomnia kept her up till the ungodly hours of the morning, so at least she had something to fill her time with besides her racing thoughts...right? Jamie heaved a sigh; she had distracted herself again. It was hard to get anything done when the voice in your head spoke rapid-fire, refusing to ever shut up. Then, while her thoughts spun incessantly, her body sagged under the weight of everything she had to bear, exhausted. There was no relief to be found when even your very soul was against you, not to mention the rest of the world as she knew it. It hurt, endlessly.

The pain never left her; it only served to shred her even more, unrelenting. This needed to _stopstopstopstop_ because it _hurtpaincrystoptoomuchalltoomuchiwanttodie_ wait...did she really? Was Jamie actually willing to leave her sister and father behind, just as her mother had? As much as she wanted to deny the fact, she couldn't. Not when every time she looked out the window, she had to keep herself from sprinting over and throwing herself out of it, grinning as death rushed to greet her. She could not deny that she wanted to die no more than she could say that she did not miss her mother's presence every second of every day.

 **Warning end**

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 **Sorry if this chapter was a little too dark for anyone's taste! There will be more mentions of suicide, domestic violence, and self-harm later in the story as well, so if those are things you want to definitely avoid reading, I recommend reading something else. I will not change the plot of this story to satisfy each individual reader.**

 **Please R &R, and have a wonderful rest of the week! ~SSA**


	11. Chapter 11: Transition of Time

**Hello, my lovelies! I surprised myself with writing another chapter, and I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Warning: There is content in this chapter that contains domestic violence and mentions of self-harm. Use discretion when reading.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Masima does! I do own the plot and my OCs of this story.**

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 **Chapter 11: Transition of Time**

The next year and a half were torture. Jamie had begun to self-harm sometime after her father had started hitting her, and was gradually losing the will to keep going. She just...was so, so tired. Everything was heavy and distorted now, nothing holding any charm for her. She couldn't bring herself to make music, or to create art. Only occasionally would she be able to write, and spent most of her free time either doing nothing or just reading. It was hard to focus and even harder to get all of the work that was required of her done. Jamie's future felt hopeless, a life of incompetence and self-doubt seemed to await her, looming overhead no matter where she went in attempts to escape. An escape...is what she needed. But how would she ever be able to leave? She couldn't. She wouldn't. Yet...she needed to. If things kept going the way they were, Jamie didn't think that she would be able to make it. How could she live when all that she felt was pain, all that she saw was isolation and betrayal?

It felt impossible. Jamie knew that her father was also struggling, and had a hard time blaming him for everything that he was putting her though. If only she had been able to be a better daughter, things might have been different. Lucy might not be so distant, and her father might not be so harsh. So cruel. Christmas was coming up once again...it would be the third one since her mother's death. Jamie dreaded it. She had begun to loathe it, ever since the first one after Layla died had resulted in pain, disaster, and marked the beginning of the violence that had followed her ever since. Jamie had become accustomed to dealing with people whom she shared mutual hatred, and had developed a nearly flawless mask to hide under. No one knew how much she was struggling, and she intended to keep it that way. She was determined to live, no matter how much it hurt. If only she could keep that mindset all the time, things might have felt a little bit brighter. Nevertheless, she steeled herself, forcing her reluctant body and mind to fulfill all of the tasks that were asked of her. She braced herself when facing her father, and did everything she could to comfort him and be kind.

There were still moments when things between them felt comfortable, emotional, but not hostile. Those moments were few and far between, but Jamie lived for them, thinking of them as proof that her father still loved her. Even though she couldn't rid herself of the hurt, the depression, she still did everything she could. She distracted herself, occupying her time with outdoors, studies, and her sister. It didn't make much of a difference, but Jamie did it anyway. It was better than doing nothing or letting the darkness overtake her. She tried to be brave, to fix the brokenness inside of her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't. Even so, Jamie did not give up hope. She left encouraging notes for herself in places where only she would come across them, bolstering her up on the days when she felt weakest. She had to make it through this, she had to do it for Lucy. After all, everything she did at this point was for Lucy. Jamie loved her with every fiber of her being and was willing to do anything and everything that she could to ensure that her twin would be happy, even if that meant sacrificing some of her own happiness.

However, even after thinking through all of this, Jamie couldn't help the dread that crept over her as Christmas approached, day by day, week by week. She could feel that something was wrong, could sense it whenever she talked to her father. Something was going to happen, and Jamie was terrified that whatever it would be, would crush her. She spent more and more time with Lucy, soaking in the warmth peace that her presence brought. Her sister looked like she was beginning to feel better, to move on a little with her life. She laughed, and Jamie laughed with her, doing whatever she could to keep those bright moments alive. It was getting harder to hide her nervousness; Lucy began to notice. Whenever she asked Jamie about it, she denied that anything was troubling her, leaving Lucy skeptical. She knew that something was wrong, and was determined to find out what. Lucy was beginning to realize more and more that something was going on with her sister, what with the frequent bruises that Jamie attested to clumsiness and the scratches that she said came from running through the forest. No matter how real her smiles seemed, Lucy still got the feeling that something was off.

It was the day before Christmas, and Jamie felt more overwhelmed than ever. There was a dark tension in the air, causing her anxiety to increase exponentially. It finally dawned on her what was going on, when she, Lucy, and her father were all sitting together for dinner. Lucy was giggling loudly, laughing at something that Jamie had said. Jude, however, was very displeased by her behavior and sent her a dark look that Jamie recognized well. It was the look he gave her every time he was about to hit her. Fear striking her heart like lightning, she shot her sister a panicked look that silenced her laughter instantaneously. The tension in the air became palpable, both twins hurrying to finish their food so they could escape. Yet, to her sister's horror, just as they stood to excuse themselves, her father told Lucy to come to talk with him in his office. Horrified and frightened that he might hit Lucy as well, Jamie jumped up and stood in front of her twin. With her face set in a determined expression, she spoke with a slightly shaky voice as her father stared her down. "Father, before you talk to Lucy I need to discuss something very important with you. It cannot wait," she insisted, her tone indicating that she refused to take no for an answer.

With a look that sent shivers down her spine, her father responded, "Very well. Lucy, you will wait for me in your room," Jude commanded, giving Jamie a look that dared her to speak against him again. With a quiet sigh of relief, she followed her father through the halls and into his office. When they entered, Jude closed the doors behind him and watched Jamie's nervous movements. "What was so important that you had to so rudely interrupt the conversation I was about to have with your sister?" He demanded, fist clenched at his side. With a set, resolute stare, Jamie answered, "What are you going to talk to Lucy about? Are you going to hit her too? If so, take it all out on me. I will do whatever you ask me to, be your punching bag for as long as you like, just promise not to lay a finger on my sister." Her father barked out a harsh laugh, slapping Jamie across her face hard enough that her head jerked to the side. "You really think that you have any right to question your father like this?" He demanded, punching her in the gut, watching as she gagged and fell to the floor. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, hand cradling her stomach, "just please, promise me that you won't hurt Lucy."

Jude grinned maliciously, head tilting to the side, "How endearingly pathetic-" he punctuated the last word with a harsh kick to her side, "You actually think that this pitiful begging will make a difference, don't you?" He crouched down next to her, grabbing her chin and forcing Jamie to look him in the eyes. "How about I make a deal with you, huh? Let's say you actually do everything you just said you would; if you ever go back on your word, all bets are off. Nothing you could do would keep me from whatever I choose to do, and you would be punished severely for thinking otherwise." He let her go, stood up, and straightened his suit. With one last kick to her side, he sneered at Jamie as he dismissed her, "Leave. Get out of my sight before I change my mind." Tremors and sobs wracked her body as Jamie stumbled to her feet, clutching her side tightly, coughing violently. She shuffled her way over to the doors, unsteady on her feet as she pulled the doors open and called out for Marley, her personal maid. Marley had been the one to find the cream to hide her scar, the one who had helped her bandage her scratches and cover up the bruises that she received from her father.

Marley was one of the very few people who knew of the abuse that she had been receiving, for what felt like years. Letting out a cry of relief, Jamie limped as fast as she could to where her maid had appeared. To her, Marley wasn't simply a maid; she was her closest friend. She was the only one who was truly there for her, who supported her through every pain. She knew about the self-harm that Jamie struggled with, often helping her patch up her wounds. When they started to become increasingly serious, Marley even learned how to stitch them up. She didn't ridicule or yell at Jamie for her behavior; she simply listened and stood by her side. This was the greatest gift that Jamie could have asked for, and she was eternally grateful for everything that Marley had done for her. Tears gathering in her eyes, the kind young maid pulled Jamie into her arms, gently wrapping them around her, supporting her as they walked to Marley's quarters. When they got there, Marley quickly ran to get the poultice she had especially for times such as these, smearing it all over the affected areas on Jamie's body. "There you go," she sighed, "What was it for this time?" Marley asked, sitting down next to Jamie on her bed.

Jamie looked away, staring at the ground as she fiddled with the hem of her skirt. "I- he just-" she heaved a sigh, "It looked like he was going to hit Lucy, so I panicked and demanded to talk to him alone. We made a deal that as long as I did whatever he wanted me to without complaint, he wouldn't hurt her." Her voice trembled as she finished, a single tear falling on her hand. "Hey, you'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. I'm here, and I don't plan on going anywhere, okay?" Marley said, rubbing Jamie's arm assuringly. Jamie finally turned her head to look at her friend, smiling through the tears crowding her eyes, "Thank you," she whispered, leaning her head on Marley's shoulder. "Anytime." With a slight squeeze, the maid released her hold on Jamie and stood up, brushing her skirts off. "Well, I believe it's time to go. You don't want anyone to get suspicious, now do you?" She asked with a playful smirk, reaching over to brush the tears off of Jamie's face. Marley then helped Jamie up and supported her once more as they left the room. Jamie spent the next hour waiting for Lucy to come back from her meeting with their father, jumping up then falling over when her sister came inside their room.

"Woah, Jamie, be careful!" Lucy exclaimed, helping her twin catch her balance before helping her sit back down again. "Sorry, just stood up too fast. I'm fine now," Jamie lied, smiling for a sealing effect in her attempt to convince her sister that nothing was wrong. "What did Papa need to talk to you about?" she asked, examining Lucy's face for any hints of what had happened. "He just wanted to let me know that he's inviting some people over tomorrow, we're going to have a party! Don't worry though, Papa said that they would all be really nice. He said that you've already met them a whole bunch of times too, 'cause of some projects that you're working on for- hold on a sec', I forgot what he said." Lucy frowned, staring hard at the ground in front of her as if that would cure her forgetfulness. "It had 're' in it. Revoke, no, remote- argh, re- re- Ah! I remember now, it was 'promote'! I forgot the 'p'!" Jamie sat there, shocked still by what her sister had said. The only thing that she could possibly be talking about was the new Christmas Promotion, and that meant that the people who were coming...Duke Everlue, Sawarr Junelle, De Cybele, and Count Balsamico...were the people she despised more than anything, the people that her father forced her to work with on numerous occasions.

"Lucy, just promise me that you will be careful around them, okay? Don't trust them, no matter what Papa says. They aren't good people." Jamie demanded, holding her twin's hand tightly. "O-okay Jamie, I trust you," Lucy stammered, surprised by her sister's outburst, smiling nonetheless. The rest of the day passed quickly, and all too soon, it was time for the twins to go to bed. Both were restless, but for different reasons. Lucy was excited; after all, tomorrow was Christmas, and that meant yummy food, lots of presents, and spending time with people she cared about. Although the twins were only twelve years old, their life experiences had forced them to mature more quickly than they might have otherwise. Jamie once again found that she couldn't sleep and spent most of the night and early morning with her head spinning, thoughts rushed and hurrying from one scenario to the next, afraid of what the day ahead of her might bring. After all, every single experience with those people, the people here father sucked up to, had been negative. Duke Everlue and Sawarr Junelle were both perverted creeps, De Cybele was a greedy fake, and Count Balsamico...while nicer than the others, he still scared the bejeebers out of her. Tiny and pucker-faced, his favorite thing to talk about was his young daughter, who was about the same age as she was.

When it was finally time for the twins to wake up, Lucy rushed downstairs to look at the Christmas tree while Jamie took her time getting ready before heading down for breakfast and celebrations that felt stiff, formal, and fake. Her father awaited them, stern-faced and scowling. "You will eat breakfast, then open your gifts. Our company will be arriving in three hours, and I expect you both to be ready." Jude stated, then walked away down the hallway, footsteps echoing. As Jamie had expected, her father was cold, absent, and indifferent. Merry Christmas to you too, Jamie thought sarcastically. She didn't see her father again until later, after she and Lucy had opened presents, when the "esteemed guests" arrived. By the end of the day, Jamie was completely exhausted. Replaying the comments, conversations, and looks she had gotten, she deemed this the worst Christmas yet. Heart hurting and mind spinning, she decided that she had had enough. Jamie couldn't bear to face her father or sister the next day, or anyone else for that matter. She needed to leave. Not permanently, of course, just for the day. She could wear her dress that she had modified especially for her excursions, and spend the day running and exploring in the forest. She knew that area better than anyone else and could spend her whole life there if she needed to. So, with that in mind, she was finally able to fall asleep, restless and uncomfortable still.

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 **Thanks for reading! Please R &R, and have a wonderful weekend! ~SSA**


	12. Chapter 12: Activation

**Hello everyone! I am really excited to post this chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

 **Warning: Some gore and violence in this chapter, read with discretion.**

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 **Chapter 12: Activation**

Jamie woke up early the next morning, taking deep breaths as she tried to calm herself. Today, she would head out into the forest, and spend the day there, recuperating. She grabbed a container of water, and strapped it to her waist, then pulled on her old boots that were worn in from much usage. Looking over at the sleeping face of her sister, Jamie couldn't help but feel guilty for the stress that her excursion would cause Lucy and the others. " _Such a pretty face on such a little girl; I wonder what it would feel like to hold you in my arms."_ Jamie shuddered, cringing as she pushed the thought of Junelle's leering face out of her mind, striding across her room as quietly as she could. There was the possibility of being seen by one of the mansion's staff, but since it was early enough, she should be able to make it outside without being discovered. After all, she had memorized the interlocking hidden pathways that were used by the servants and staff. Getting out unnoticed shouldn't be too hard, as long as she kept quiet and moved swiftly.

Jamie crept down the narrow passageway, stepping softly and wincing at every creak that was caused by her weight on the old floorboards. At some point, she thought that she had heard the faint sound of a whispered conversation, and froze, terrified that she would be caught and dragged to her father. Several tense moments passed before the sounds faded, leaving Jamie to sigh in relief and make her way carefully forward, eyes and ears open for any hint of another person approaching. Finally, ten minutes later, she made it to the hidden back entrance. Lifting the latch and gently pushing the door open, she squeezed out through the crack and was careful to close it quietly. Then, turning to face the maze of intricately trimmed bushes, Jamie let a ghost of a smile flash across her lips before hurrying off, ducking and twisting between the sculptures above her. This time allowing a genuine smile to form, she broke into a jog as she ran into the forest, trailing her fingers across the rough bark of the trees around her. " _You are in way over your head, ugly little girl. You should just give up while you're ahead and leave the thinking to the adults."_ Jamie's grin melted away as a memory of Duke Everlue's incessant mocking came to mind.

Putting more energy into her steps, Jamie began to sprint, dodging the trees as best she could, branches whipping her in the face as she crashed through the undergrowth. " _No matter where you run, you will never be able to escape from this. You were born with the opportunity to rule, and it would be quite selfish of you to throw that away."_ This time, it was a passing comment from De Cybele that came to mind, the meaningful look he gave her haunting her thoughts. No matter how hard she tried or how far she ran, the previous day's events would not leave her. " _You little brat! Stop throwing a tantrum and just shut up already!"_ No. " _It doesn't matter what you do or how much effort you put into this; it will never be enough. Just face it, you will never be enough."_ No, stop! Please, no… " _All that you will ever amount to is a spoiled leech, living off of her daddy's money, pretending to be something that you're not."_ No, it's not true! " _You don't believe me? Even your own father hates you, the only reason you're here is that he had no one better to use."_ But Lucy, " _Your sister? Hah! Pathetic, just like you. Stupid too, at least you have something other than rot in your brain, even if it's not much of an improvement."_ No, Lucy is good, and kind, and sweet! She is smarter than you are.

Jamie was pulled back into the present when she tripped over a root, head jolting as she slammed into the ground. "Ow," she groaned, spitting out the dirt that had found its way into her mouth, "That really sucked. A root? Really? Good job Jamie, just another thing you failed at." Sighing, she pushed herself to her knees, checking for tears in her dress or blood. After seeing that there wasn't that much damage done, she grabbed hold of the small sapling next to her and pulled her aching body back up into a standing position. Heaving another sigh, Jamie took in her surroundings, trying to place where she was. She had run farther than she originally thought, and was deep inside the forest. Unsure of exactly where she was, Jamie began to walk again, keeping her eyes peeled for any recognizable landmarks. A couple minutes later, she was beginning to panic. From what she had gathered, she was on the edge of the estate property, meaning that soon, she would be completely lost with miles upon miles of forest in every direction.

Then, to her relief, she heard voices in the distance, "Hello, is anyone there? I'm afraid I've lost my way and need directions to the Heartfilia Estate." Jamie called, wincing a moment later when she realized that they could very well be serial killers or creepy old men or murders hiding in the woods...crap. They heard her, and were now heading her way, or at least she assumed. Either that, or she had been hallucinating, after all, the noise had suddenly stopped as soon as she called out to it. Suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind and covered her mouth with their hand, causing Jamie to let out a muffled scream. _Nonononononotthis_ she bit down on the hand as hard as she could, the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth. The attacker shrieked, and jumped back, cursing violently as Jamie whirled around to get a good look at the person who had touched her. Gasping, she saw that there were five darkly dressed hulking men, one of which was clutching their hand. The one who had attempted to immobilize her. "You little b-" "Shut up, stupid, you already messed this up. Now she knows we're here."

"Yeah, well that ain't exactly my fault now, is it? You're the one who wanted me to grab her. That spoiled little brat bit me!" He stood up straight now, snarling at the other one who seemed to be their leader. In a flash, the one who had been complaining was now on the ground, clutching his stomach instead. This time, it was a guy further behind that spoke next, delighted confusion written all over his face as he spoke, "Hold on, is no one even going to ask why Little Miss Princess is even in the forest? All alone, this far out on the property?" The one who had grabbed her snorted, incredulous. "She probably just went on strike 'cause her daddy didn't give her the toy she wanted for Christmas," his face twisted into a disgusted scowl, leering over at where she sat, back pressed against a tree, "How pathetic, and how utterly stupid. At least that makes things easier for us, huh boys?" He licked his lips, stepping closer to Jamie's huddled form, "Well, now that we have her, let's have a little fun first, shall we? After all, Justine just wants her dead. He said nothing about before she was dead, in fact, he might like it better this way." Before he could get close enough to reach her, the one in charge barked for him to stop.

"Not yet, Valdimo, let me talk to the girl first. Or, have you already forgotten that we also received orders to kill the other one as well?" The man who had grabbed her, Valdimo, hesitated with an expression of pure hatred contorted into his features. "Yeah, yeah Boss. After that, it's my turn." The "boss" nodded sharply, once, and went to kneel in front of Jamie, face blank in such a way that seemed harsher than any scowl could be. "So, Miss Heartfilia, why do you think we are here, in the forest of the Heartfilia property?" Trembling, Jamie began to stutter out an answer, "T-to kill me and my sister, maybe even my father as well. Your boss wants revenge, Justine, was it?" Jamie became more confident as she kept talking, gaining courage from the shocked looks on their faces, "No, that's not it. He doesn't want to kill my father, he wants to leave him alive to suffer the loss of his daughters as well as his wife. I'm not as dumb as you think I am, nor will I let you lay a finger on my sister." Jamie spat at the ground next to their leader, muscles tight as she prepared to spring up and run away.

"Well, well, well, looks like the kitten has claws, huh? Yes, you're exactly right, the only thing that you left out was what these cretins plan on doing to you before you die." He broke into laughter at Jamie's horrified and disgusted expression, standing up and stepping away from her, allowing two of the others to advance. Valdimo was the first to approach, reaching out to grab her once again, this time aiming for her arm. As his hand neared her, Jamie flinched and slapped it away as hard as she could, jumping to her feet in an attempt to avoid contact. Valdimo chuckled nastily, grabbing Jamie by her hair before she could run away, "You really think you can run away from us? Honey, we're professional assassins, a part of the dark guild Eisenwald. Ever heard of it?" He only laughed harder at Jamie's horrified expression, the sound verging on hysteria. His other hand darted out, gripping her jaw tightly as he lifted her into the air, grinning madly as he spoke, "Your dress is not what I would have expected you to wear, did you not want to get your precious clothes dirty?" Jamie froze, calculating quickly in her mind. She might be able to knock out at least one of them, but that would just make them even angrier. _What do I do? I can't let them get to Lucy,_ she thought, eyes distant as she thought.

"Hey!" her head jerked to the side as he slapped her, "Listen to me when I'm talking to you, you prat!" Valdimo let go of her, and Jamie slumped to the ground beneath him. Thinking fast, she slammed her leg upwards into his crotch and jumped up when he hunched over streaming curses. Jamie then punched him in the neck, knocking him backward and bashing his head against a tree, where he crumpled to the ground unconscious. The other man who had been approaching behind Valdimo whistled. "Now _that_ was impressive, Heartfilia. Smarter than we expected alright, but do you really think that we'd let that go? No," he suddenly ran at her, lifting her into the air by her neck, "For that, your punishment will be so much worse." He paused, smiling sinisterly as Jamie struggled to breathe, "Oh, and by the way, my name is Kageyama." Whirling around, Kageyama tossed her through the air like a rag doll, letting one of the other men catch her. This one was the tallest, with green hair, an abnormally large mouth, and a large, hulking figure. He leered at her, gripping her by her waist as he held Jamie still, "Well, Miss, looks like you deserve to be killed slowly without the prerequisite that we had planned. No worries though, we'll just have fun with your sister instead. After all, she is said to have quite the body for as small as she is...I wonder if she's as feisty as you are?"

That, was the last straw; Jamie snapped at the mention of them even thinking about touching Lucy. She snarled and headbutted the bandit who was holding her, managing to twist away from him, but not without a price. Her ribcage crunched under the pressure and abuse it had received, leaving Jamie with a couple of cracked ribs and a broken arm. Covered in scratches and now bleeding, she stumbled to her feet and jolted away from the green haired man that reached out for her with a furious expression. He managed to grab her wrist, the broken one and jerked her back into his reach. "You are gonna pay for that," he snarled, eyes glinting as Jamie cried out in pain. She struggled and fought back as much as she could, at some point managing to swing her elbow into his jaw with as much force as she could, grinning shakily as he fell to the ground, now unconscious. This left the leader of the group and two others, both of which were grinning nastily as they approached her. "I must say, I'm impressed with how well you've been able to hold out so far. This is getting annoying; Rayule, Kageyama, finish her off."

The two men nodded to Kageyama, the leader, and began to pummel Jamie into the ground. She tried to fight back, but this time, they didn't go easy on her. They knew what to expect, and blocked every attempt to hurt them in return. She was thrown against trees, slashed with knives, and beaten with fists, now coughing up blood weakly as she lay on the ground. Unbeknownst to the bandit now kneeling in front of her, Jamie gripped the knife that they had let fall to the ground with her. Roaring in one final attempt to stop them, she slammed the blunt side of the knife in a downward arc to his neck, managing to knock him out as he retaliated, a thick blade piercing into her stomach and out of her back. Blood spurting out of her mouth and gushing from her extensive wounds, Jamie gasped for breath. She had failed, there were still two of them left and now that they were finished with her, they would go to Lucy...she shuddered, hacking up even more blood as she lay there, curled up in a ball on the rough ground. "Would you look at that, she managed to do some damage after all," Kageyama muttered, the last bandit left beside the leader, "What do you wanna do now, Boss? Finish her off, or leave her here to die?" he asked, now speaking in a louder voice as he turned to his leader, eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Leave her," he said in answer, and they both turned to walk away when abruptly, a flare of golden light illuminated the area with a harsh and blinding glow. Shocked, the last bandits standing whirled around, facing where Jamie lay, incredulous. What they saw astonished them, and they stared gapingly at where the girl they thought dead lay, intricate patterns swirling down her right arm, dancing across her bruised and broken skin. The light began to pulse, and grew brighter with every cycle, static and magic humming in the air as Kageyama approached Jamie carefully. "Boss, she has a magic seal, and a powerful one at that. It looks like it's activating, what do you want to do now?" he asked, turning to look back at his leader; Byard. "Let's wait and see what happe-" Before he could finish his sentence, the brightness took on a physical quality, exploding like a bomb and blasting away all the trees in a 20 feet radius. The detonation visibly killed the two unconscious men that were closest to Jamie, and badly injured the other, who was not much farther away. Both Kageyama and his boss, Byard, were injured in the explosion and were now supporting each other as they tried to stand up, staring at each other in disbelief. "B-boss, did you see that?" Kageyama asked stupidly, stuttering in surprise.

Byard studied scene that lay before them, expression grim as he calculated their losses. "Kageyama, let's retreat. The mission has been compromised and there is too much that we do not know." Kageyama stared at Byard, utterly shocked by his decision. "Hey, are you sure? Justine will be furious…" He turned to look at Jamie once more as he trailed off, squinting as he tried to make out her form. Then, panicked, he jumped back and hid behind a tree as she detonated once more, this blast bigger than the previous one. "O-okay, I see your point, let's get out of here!" Kageyama mumbled shakily, eyes wide as he noticed that Jamie's body was missing. Byard followed his line of sight and paused, studying the spiraling destruction that came from a now empty center point. "Her body wasn't strong enough to handle the damage, but even I don't know what really happened to it. We should leave; quickly. That beam of light could be seen for miles in all directions, it's no longer safe here." Kageyama nodded in agreement and limped back in the direction that they had come, this time with three fewer people. He had survived, but at what cost?

Jamie, on the other hand, was still alive; barely. The Seal of Apollo had activated and saved her life, but at a heavy price. With a flash of blinding golden radiance, she appeared, transported from where she had lain in the forest to a field of tall, flowing grass. Body still and motionless in a pool of her own blood, sword still inside of her, Jamie was found; broken and mostly dead. Unaware of the screaming and flurry of action around her, she laid there unconscious as the sword was removed from her abdomen and was taken to a nearby building. There, she was treated, flashing figures doing everything they could to keep her alive. Then, everything stilled, and silence reigned as a man, tall, handsome, and bathing in an aura of power walked in, gazing steadily at the prone form of the little girl who was surrounded by so many. Everyone and everything nearby seemed to hold its breath as the man opened his mouth to speak, words slipping like raindrops from his tongue, "Finally, she is here."

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 **Thanks for reading! Please R &R and have a wonderful Christmas! ~SSA**


	13. Chapter 13: A Different Realm

**Hello all and Merry Christmas! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday whatever you celebrate, and a happy new year!** **Special thanks to snerfshoe for commenting, please R &R!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does!**

 **Warning: Mentions of suicidal ideation and depression in this chapter, read with discretion.**

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 **Chapter 13: A Different Realm**

The first thing that Jamie noticed when she surfaced consciousness again was the almost melodic cacophony of voices that surrounded her. Intertwining with each other and seeming to be covered by a fuzzy veil of white noise, she couldn't make out any of the words that were being said. She tried to move but was startled to find that she could not. Straining as hard as she could, Jamie struggled to even twitch, unable to open her eyes. Now panicking, she paused, startled to find that even her breathing was remaining constant, unchanged by her rising emotions. Focusing as hard as she could, Jamie strained her ears to see if she could catch a glimpse of what was going on around her. "Sleeping….still...not ready- no…..wh-...how did tha-...hear us? I-...maybe…" Growing tired of the effort it was taking, Jamie gave up. Now letting her subconscious seep out into her jumbled thoughts and memories, she began to drift...and then, before realizing it, she slipped back into the land of dreams once more.

"No, I must speak with her! Even if she's not awake she might-" Jamie was startled back into awareness from the loud voice that filtered through her hearing, slightly distorted and unclear. _Who…?_ She questioned, wondering what was happening as the voice grew in volume again. "...Apollo se-...wai-...I already said that! You-..." Frustrated, Jamie groaned internally. Wait... _Apollo? As in the name of my seal? What's going on?!_ "Fine, I'm leaving." The voice penetrated her thoughts, sounding irritated before shifting back into the muffled static that seemed to be the majority of what she heard. _Wait! Don't leave, I have so many questions!_ Jamie tried to call but gave up seconds later when no sound emerged from her prone body. Unable to keep track of time, it felt like hours had passed when she heard something again, the voices clearer this time. "...she doesn't...and wake up, then we….have to call him again….but not yet, she still might...yes, I agree. Let's just...okay….should work." Jamie fought to move, worried about what they might do to her...exerting all her effort in an attempt to something, anything to prove that she could hear them.

Slowly, feeling seeped back into her left hand, allowing Jamie to twitch her pinky finger slightly and felt her body wince in response to the sudden flood of pain that rushed through her. Shuddering from the intensity of the ache, she felt as if someone had skewered her stomach and then ripped it open, pain searing in streaks, patches, and sharp sudden throbs all over her body. Breathing shallowly, Jamie realized that she was more aware then she had been before, and forced her eyes to crack open, white light blinding her as she squinted in pain. "Vide, vide, she's awake! Go, amen dico Apollo!" Blinking slowly, Jamie tried to clear her vision as the world slowly focused around her, colors somehow bright and muted at the same time. Any attempt to move only increased made the pain worse, so she settled with tilting her head slightly to the left, getting a better view of the world around her. The ceiling was high, giving the area a larger feel to it than it actually had, wide and arching windows letting in enormous amounts of light. There was not much furniture, besides a chair, wardrobe, ornate desk and a small, intricately carved bedside table. There were beautiful tapestries covering the walls, depicting scenes of great natural and ethereal beauty.

The sound of approaching footsteps pulled Jamie back to the present, causing her eyes to dart around the room nervously. There was a woman, beautiful and solemn, standing across the floor from where she lay, to the right of the wooden door that filled the archway, light spilling out through the open space. Startled, Jamie noticed that a broad-shouldered man was approaching her, golden and white attire with a cloak billowing out behind him with a subtle aura of power that seemed to demand reverence and awe. "Grace Jameson Heartfilia, heir to the Heartfilia corporation and bearer of the Seal of Apollo, welcome to the Realm of the Gods." The man paused, standing a couple feet away from where Jamie lay and tilted his head slightly as he inspected her, taking note of the extensive injuries that she bore. Jamie strained her voice, trying to make a sound, any sound, but nothing came out. Taking a deep breath, she tried again, this time managing to croak out a couple of garbled words before stopping, giving up on speaking. Instead, she raised her eyebrows questioningly, eyes squinted accusingly, hoping that the strange man before her would get the message and explain himself.

Noticing her attempt to communicate, he continued, gesturing to himself as he spoke, "I, am Apollo, God of the Sun, the Light, Music, and Prophecy. It is my seal that you bear, originally gifted to your mother for the great service she had done for us, the Olympians." _What._ Jamie deadpanned internally, staring at him unbelievingly. Sure, she believed in magic and gods and all that, but seriously, _what the heck is happening?! Am I dead?_ She questioned, confused and very unsure. "I assure you, I am real, and you are not dead," he chuckled at her expression of disbelief, "and no, I cannot read your mind. However, you were in the process of dying when the seal activated. It will take time to heal and regain use of your body once more, so I suggest you rest and do not strain yourself." Apollo finished with a warm smile adorning his features, before motioning to the woman behind him. "This is Lucille, and she will aid you in your recovery; do not be afraid to ask for hel-" Whatever he was going to say was cut off by the strangled noise coming from Jamie, whose eyes were wide open in horror. "Lu-cy," the word barely discernible, yet the clearest thing she had said yet. Then, everything started to spin as a life-like flashback seized hold of Jamie, forcing her to remember running off to the forest and the people she encountered there.

Strangled cries emitting from her throat, Jamie could do nothing as she relived her worst memories, over and over again until she felt a cool hand against her forehead, bringing darkness and calm once more, leaving her unconscious. Nightmares and terrors plagued her as she slept, unaware of the quiet commotion that was occurring around her. It was hours later when she awoke again, this time being surrounded by darkness instead of light. Besides the pale gleam of the celestial bodies, shining in through the extensive windows, there was only an empty shadow around her. Barely able to see and disoriented by her sudden return to reality, Jamie groaned quietly. She stared out the window beside her, stunned by the vast and confusing array of stars and planets that drifted above. None of them were recognizable, and nothing matched what she had learned about astronomy or astrology. This was the first time that she fully realized; she was in a different realm entirely, separate from Earthland like the Celestial World is. She was far from home, and might not ever see it again; not that she wanted to. Lucy was probably dead, and her father- she didn't know, nor could she find it in her to care. There was nothing she could do for him at this point; she had failed her family.

Pulling her gaze away from the darkened sky, Jamie noticed that the woman Apollo had introduced her to, Lucille, was sitting in the chair by the desk, head tilted back from exhaustion. Hunger adding to her discomfort and pain, she tried to get the woman's attention, croaking out a jumbled sentence that echoed through the empty room, satisfied when Lucille jolted awake and turned to check on her. "Miss, are you awake?" she asked, checking Jamie over and making sure that none of her injuries had reopened. "How- how long have I been here?" Jamie managed to ask, voice raspy from disuse. "It's been a few weeks since you first arrived, and you woke up for the first time early this morning. You must be hungry, I'll be right back with something for you to eat," she stated, and hurried out of the room without a backward glance. Jamie sighed, and tried to remember what injuries she had gotten from the fight; the most memorable one being the stab wound that went straight through her stomach and out of her lower back. Besides assuming that she had broken quite a few bones, Jamie had no idea how far the extent of the damage she had received actually reached.

"Here, drink this," Lucille said, startling Jamie out of her reverie as she held a chalice filled with a golden liquid out to her, allowing Jamie to thirstily gulp down the mysterious substance. "It's called ambrosia; the food of the gods." Jamie choked on her drink, almost spitting it out in shock. "Don't worry, it won't hurt you. You have the Seal of Apollo, which grants you the ability to eat and drink the food of the gods. Otherwise, you would either become immortal or turn to ash, depending on whether you actually received permission...sorry, I'm rambling again, aren't I?" She huffed out an embarrassed laugh, cheeks flushing as she turned away slightly. She set the now empty chalice on the side table and smiled warmly at Jamie, smirking slightly at the surprised expression that was obscuring the wounded girl's face. Jamie was stunned to find the pain that had been so intensely overwhelming before was now slowly fading, a shadow of what it had previously been. It was still there, but now, she felt as if she could breathe more freely. "It feels better already, doesn't it? Drinking this every other day will speed up your healing process, meaning that it will take about a month or two to heal instead of five. Pretty good deal, huh?" Lucille commented, sitting back down where she had before.

Jamie's eyes then held a distant expression, remembering how long it had taken her head injury to heal those couple years ago...when things had just started going downhill. The scar that she bore on her face was a physical reminder of the pain and suffering her family had gone through, and it sent a knife through her heart every time she turned and saw it in the mirror. She was brought back to the present by Lucille's voice, telling her to go back to sleep and get some rest. With an affirmative grunt, Jamie relaxed and closed her eyes, trying to avoid the memories that threatened to take over and seize her mind. The next time Jamie woke up, it was light out again. She spent most of the time afterward just laying there, staring blankly at the ceiling. A tidal wave of emptiness washed over her, again and again, leaving her with the pressure of thousands of feet of seawater, suffocating and ripping her to pieces. Lucille left her alone only a couple of times, when she got Jamie food that she refused to eat and when she ate food herself, taking a short break for lunch. Jamie simply couldn't bring herself to even try to eat; the intensity of her emotions was making her feel nauseous.

Hours later, Jamie was distracted from her thoughts when Apollo came to visit her. This time, she was not surprised or astonished by his appearance; she was angry. He had told her next to nothing about what had happened, and Jamie needed answers. By the end of their conversation, she knew nothing more than she had beforehand, and was even more frustrated. It took several more visits, spaced apart enough for her to have time to think over what little scraps of information that she had been given, and she felt like she almost had it. There was one vital piece missing, and Jamie was determined to find out. "Miss Jamie, Apollo is here to see you again," Lucille announced, smiling brightly at her, a mischievous glint in her eye. It had taken several days of convincing to get the woman to call her "Miss Jamie", and Jamie had all but given up on being treated like a normal human. "Hey Sunshine," Jamie snorted at the use of the nickname Apollo had given her, irritated that he wouldn't just leave her alone, "You miss me?" He had become increasingly less formal every time he visited, saying that he wanted to try to act like a mortal to make her more comfortable around him. "No," Jamie said shortly, frustrated and so achingly numb. "Well, that's too bad. I was going to let you ask me more questions, but I guess my presence is no longer wanted…" He trailed off, moving as if to leave before smirking at the heavy glare he received.

"Fine, you can stay," Jamie begrudgingly muttered, scowling to keep up her facade of emotion. All she felt was heavy emptiness, and nothing anyone could do or say would be able to change that. There was no point in trying, but Jamie couldn't help but keep acting her part. Things would only get harder if she didn't…"I'm sure you have many questions about your seal. It's still there, right? As you know, it's the only thing allowing you to ingest Ambrosia, which is helping you heal, and is what brought you here to my realm." Jamie nodded sullenly, wishing he would just get on with it and leave her alone with her thoughts once more. "You've also heard of dragon slayer and god slayer magic, correct? Well, it is also what will allow you to learn the magic that I wield, the magic of The God of the Sun. This is the magic I will teach you, once you heal and are physically capable and prepared." He finished, looking at Jamie expectantly, waiting for a response. With that last piece of information, the puzzle finally clicked into place. _That's what mother meant when she said it would allow me to use magic..._ she thought, frozen in place where she sat. However, even with the exciting news of being able to learn magic, Jamie couldn't find it in herself to actually _feel_ excited.

Learning how to wield magic had long lost it's glow, even more so when she almost died. The whole reason she wanted to learn magic was so that she would be able to protect her family, and keep Lucy safe. Now, with Lucy and her mother both dead, what was the point? There was no longer a reason to keep living, and Jamie had given up on trying to ward off the thoughts of suicide that plagued her. Once she could walk again, once she was able to, she would take her own life and join her sister and mother in whatever followed mortality. She would be with the people she loved the most...that sounded like a gift to her, and was all that she could bring herself to look forward to. To Jamie, it didn't even feel like she was currently alive. The blank aching detachment that filled every crevice of her being didn't allow her to. So, with all of that in mind, Jamie stayed silent, depriving Apollo of the reaction he had hoped to get. After sitting there for several moments, allowing the heavy silence to wash over them, Apollo spoke briefly, "Well, I'll let you think about that more on your own, just have Lucille call me if you need anything," and left after a long backward glance. Jamie found irony in that, and snorted quietly. She would have to muster up the energy to provide a more satisfactory response later, but for now, she could relax and just let her emotions be. Or lack thereof, in this case. There was not much for her to feel besides a residual aching pain from her wounds, the numbness taking away everything else. This numbness felt even worse than the piercing sadness she had felt before...but made it all the easier to just give up and let time slip by.

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Thanks for reading, Happy Holidays! ~SSA


	14. Chapter 14: Bedridden No More

**Hello everyone, and Happy New Years Eve! I wish you all a wonderful 2019 and hope you enjoy this chapter! Please R &R!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters, Hiro Mashima does!**

 **Warning: Mentions of suicidal ideation in this chapter, read with discretion.**

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 **Chapter 14: Bedridden No More**

It had been a little over a week since Jamie first woke up, and she was tired of lying in bed. Restlessness and spiraling thoughts made her itch to move, to go outside and be surrounded by nature. Jamie wasn't sure how time was calculated here, but she kept track of the days and nights that passed her by in an attempt to stay aware of how much time had passed since she lost...everything. "Miss Jamie, Apollo is here to see you again," Lucille called, giving her a small smile. She knew that Jamie was struggling, and was extremely worried about the injured girl who had yet to stand since she was initially injured. Jamie heaved a sigh, not looking forward to talking with the Sun God; he had been pestering her for an answer, but she didn't have one to give. "Jamie," she looked over at him, mildly surprised by the absence of her usual nickname, "I thought you would be happy to know that you are allowed to move around again! Of course, you will have to get used to walking again and build muscles and all that, but now you can get to know this realm better and explore," Apollo said with a gleam in his eye, making it seem like he was more excited by this information that Jamie herself was.

An enormous sense of relief washed over Jamie as she closed her eyes momentarily, thinking of the implications that came with walking again. She could go outside and move and...find a way to feel again. Jamie almost missed the deep and abiding sadness that had been a part of her depression; almost. Sometimes being sad seemed better than being numb because at least that way, you'd be feeling _something_. "Sunshine?" _Ah, there's the nickname,_ Jamie thought sourly, "Are you even listening to me?" Apollo asked, waving his hand in front of Jamie's blank gaze, trying to bring her back into focus. Her broken ribs, wrist, and forearm had all healed, leaving Jamie with a little less pain than she would have otherwise, but her dislocated shoulder, concussion, and stab wound...those all remained. Of the lacerations she had received, all that was left were scars to match the rest. They had been the first thing to heal. "Jamie," Apollo stated, seeing if the use of her actual name would be more effective. Jamie forced her eyes to focus on where he stood, irritation flashing across her face before settling into a blank mask once more. "What," she started, rolling her eyes at him, "It's not like the world will end if I don't hang on your every word, 'pollo." The use of his name without the first letter irked him, and Jamie smirked as his eye twitched subtly in response.

Apollo then shook his head at her, tiredly, and swooped up into a straight position again. Eyes shining with amusement, he offered his hand to Jamie with a dramatic motion, smiling encouragingly. Jamie rolled her eyes at him, but took his hand regardless, and let him help her up out of bed, into a standing position. Her legs shook, unused to supporting her weight, causing Jamie to lean into Apollo's presence to stable herself. After a few moments of standing, her legs began to collapse underneath her, Apollo helping her sit back down on the edge of the bed. "It will take a bit to get used to walking around and standing again, but don't worry, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it," he encouraged, still smiling at her. Jamie scowled, frustrated that freedom wasn't quite there yet. "Yeah? Well, sod off, I don't need your help." Lips curled into a petulant pout, Jamie glared at the floor as Apollo let out a booming laugh that seemed to fill up the room and bounce off the walls. This only made Jamie frown more, irritation welling up as he continued to laugh at her.

"Apollo would you just shut up for once and listen?!" Jamie yelled, startling him into silence, where he watched her with wide eyes. "Why do you even care? You're a god, the god of the freaking sun. There is no reason for you to keep wasting your time on me, so just leave me alone," Jamie finished, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes, gasping in frustration and overwhelming emotions for the first time in weeks. Apollo stared at her, shocked by what she had said, unsure of what to say. Jamie felt his searing gaze on her and found herself crying even harder, cheeks flushing in humiliation and anger. "Jamie, what do you mean? You have the Seal of Apollo, _my magic seal_ , engraved into your arm. Isn't that enough to warrant my attention?" He asked incredulously, staring at her as he tried to figure out what he had said wrong. Jamie tensed, freezing still as she stopped crying altogether. Apollo sighed in relief, that is, until she looked up at him, eyes burning with a ferocious fury that frightened him. "The seal? The _seal_!? _That's_ your reason? Because of a stupid patch of magical ink on my arm?" She sneered at him in disgust, hurt flashing in her eyes. "You're even worse than I thought."

"What the hell did I do?! You asked why, right? Well, I gave you a reason!?" Apollo growled out, frustrated with how things were turning out. "I'm sorry that it's just not good enough for you, _princess_." He spat out the last word, venom dripping from the word as he glowered at her. " _Princess."_ _Not good enough not good enoughyou'llneverbegoodenoughnevernever stopstopstopstopstopSTOPIT_ Jamie's chaotic thoughts came to a screeching halt as she breathed heavily, clutching her hair in her hands as she muttered unrecognizable words under her breath. She was shaking, she realized, as she slowly let go of her hair, staring at her hands blankly as she struggled to _breathe_. " _You will never be good enough, you spoiled little brat. You think you're such a princess, all high and mighty in your castle on the hill."_ No. Nononono you're wrong I _don't- "Well let me tell you, little girl, you may be in charge for now, but I promise you that one day, it will be_ you _who bows down to_ me _."_ She felt the words echoing in her head, replaying over and over, watching helplessly from the side as she curled into a ball, there, on the edge of the bed where she had sat. Those few moments seemed to last forever; a cruel nightmarish version of reality.

Her ears were ringing, all of the sound surrounding her muffled as she tried to even out her breath. It had been a while since she had a panic attack, and Jamie sure didn't miss the feeling. Eventually, she was calm enough to notice that Apollo was talking, frantically. Still not able to make out the exact words that he was saying, Jamie curled her legs tighter into her chest, gripping her knees with white knuckles. The next thing that she became aware of was the presence of a heavy hand on her shoulder, shaking her. " _Jamie, you weakling, get up?! I thought that it couldn't be possible for you to become any more pathetic, but I guess you proved me wrong, huh?"_ The sound of her father's angry voice hit her like a sledgehammer, making her jerk away violently from whoever had touched her, panic seizing hold of her once more. _Nononohecan'tbehere_ , she thought, disoriented and hurting all over. Eventually, whoever had been trying to talk to her stopped, leaving Jamie with a small sense of relief. Several minutes had passed before she was finally able to bring herself back to where she lay, still curled up in a ball.

Blinking hard, Jamie slowly unclenched her hands from where they had been digging into her legs, trying to stretch herself out a little. Taking deep breaths, she focused on her senses, paying attention to what she could feel, hear, see, and smell in a further attempt to calm herself down. Moments later, she glanced around her, nervous and embarrassed that anyone had been there to see that. Jamie felt herself flush as she noticed that both Apollo and Lucille were standing nearby, concern, shock, and worry etched into their expressions. Whimpering quietly, she pulled her gaze away from them and forced herself to just focus on breathing. In, and out. In, and out. In, and out. "Jamie," she heard Lucille start tentatively, "Can you hear me now?" Jamie nodded her head slightly in response to the question, humiliation washing over her again. "Can you talk?" Lucille asked, and Jamie shook her head. "Okay, is there anything that I can do to help?" Again, Jamie shook her head, flinching at the heavy sigh that followed. "Would you like us to leave?" Relieved, Jamie nodded a little more this time, letting out a breath that she didn't know she was holding as she heard their footsteps fading as they left the room.

Jamie wasn't sure how much time had passed, being left alone with only her thoughts to keep her company. Not that she minded; in fact, it was easier that way. There would be no intrusive comments or unwanted sympathy, just silence. Cold, sweet, beautiful silence. Jamie wasn't surprised when she heard footsteps approaching, but felt anxious nonetheless. Someone was coming to check on her, and she wasn't sure if it was Lucille or Apollo. "Please let it be her," she whispered, screwing her eyes shut tight in anticipation. "Jamie?" A gentle, feminine voice called out to her, concern filling the tone with a participatory kind of anxiety. A relieved sigh slipped through Jamie's lips before she could call it back, eyes shooting open in embarrassment. "Hey Lucille," she answered, smiling nervously. "Are you feeling any better?" Lucille asked, walking closer to where Jamie lay on the bed, curled up in the upper left corner. "A little," Jamie replied, allowing a wry smile to show momentarily before shutting it down. People didn't want dark humor, they wanted answers. Answers that she wasn't ready or willing to give.

"Oh, I never asked, did I?" Lucille suddenly exclaimed, eyes wide as she clapped her hands together, "How old are you?" she asked, smiling kindly at Jamie, who sighed. "Twelve," she said, "I'm twelve." Lucille didn't look all that surprised, just sad. "I thought so, you do still look quite young," she stated, sitting down on the edge of Jamie's bed. Jamie shivered, still not quite ready to be close to someone. "Is this the first time that you've had a- what's it called? Oh, yes, a panic attack." Lucille muttered, looking at Jamie questioningly. "No," she replied, cheeks flushing from embarrassment once more. "You know," Lucille began, "It's nothing to be ashamed of. It just proves how strong you are, how brave you must be to face your fears every day." She grinned at Jamie, eyes crinkling at the edges as she tried to convey her sincerity. Jamie mumbled a quiet thanks in response, staring at her hands as she tried to stay calm. She knew that, it's just...so much harder to remember when other people are there to watch, to judge. Jamie was used to being alone or ridiculed. If there were people, there was bound to be hurt.

"I'll go grab you something to eat, okay?" Lucille said, breaking some of the tension. Jamie nodded, watching carefully as the kind woman got up and walked out the door. _It's not going to last,_ she thought, tearing her eyes away from the retreating figure. She wasn't going to be here for very long, wouldn't care for very long. No one ever did. Her life was full of that, the expectations and disappointments. Nothing ever turned out the way other people wanted it to, so they would turn around and blame it on her. Like what had happened with Apollo...she knew he didn't mean to trigger her or give her a panic attack, but he had still meant to hurt her with that word. _Princess_. Everyone called her that, and she hated it. It was attached to some of her worst memories, stigmas that were unjustly forced upon her. "Jamie, I'm back." Jamie jerked her head up towards the sound, noticing that Lucille was back with a plate of food. She wasn't hungry, and told her so, but Lucille made her eat anyways.

"How are you going to get better if you don't eat," she demanded, staring down at Jamie until she looked away and accepted the plate. "Sorry," Jamie mumbled, "I'm just- I don't know." Lucille simply smiled benignly and sat down next to Jamie once more. "It's okay, I get it. My sister - she used to struggle with all this as well - always told me to keep pushing her. Otherwise, she said, she wouldn't even be able to make herself try." Jamie stared at Lucille blankly, unsure of what to say. Hesitating, she spoke, "My sister did the same thing for me," she whispered, eyes glazing over as she determinedly looked everywhere but where Lucille sat. "But now...I have nothing left to live for," Jamie admitted, tears now slipping down her cheeks. She felt a comforting hand on her back, pulling her into a warm embrace. "Hey, it's okay, I'm here beside you. I know I'll never be a replacement for what you lost, but don't do anything rash, okay?" Jamie pulled away, and wrapped her arms around herself, glaring at her feet. "Okay, I promise," she lied, knowing that it was a promise that she would not be able to keep. However, she did get one thing out of that experience.

Jamie now had some form of motivation, to be able to get back up on her feet and start walking again, if only to be able to disappear again later. She needed to be able to move, to get out of that damned bed and be outside again. She felt as if she was suffocating, staying in that room day after day, not being able to do anything but sit there and think. Jamie needed to be able to breathe in the fresh air and stand in the shade of the trees, brushing her fingers across flower petals and absorbing the light of the sun. It felt as vital to her health as it would be for an actual plant, her need to be _out_ and _free_. She promised herself that she would do everything that she could to get there, it was the only thing she had left, outside. It calmed her, mended her, and reminded her of everything that was good and whole. Jamie felt as if half of her very being was missing, being apart from Lucy. It hurt too much, made her feel too much. She couldn't handle it for much longer, thinking about what she lost over and over again. She needed to be under the vast skies and close her eyes and just _feel_ again. She needed to be back where she belonged, among the trees in the forest. She needed to be outside.

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 **Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful week~**

 **-SSA**


	15. Chapter 15: Spotting Ravens

**Hello everyone, and Happy New Year! Please R &R**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

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 **Chapter 15: Spotting Ravens**

Jamie forced her leg to move forward, to keep her body in balance with the world around her. She was walking, outside. Finally, she felt as if she could breathe again, the air around her a little clearer. Being surrounded by nature always calmed her, ever since she was a little girl crawling through the dirt in their garden. The sounds were music to her ears; the wind soughing through the brightly colored trees, strange birds flitting about, calling to each other, small animals running across branches and leaping into bushes...it grounded her in a way nothing else could. She didn't feel like herself; she never did, but standing there, leaning on a tall, broad tree for support, the feeling was stronger than ever. How could this be real? She almost died, her sister did die, and she was going to learn magic...impossible. And yet, she still stood there, pressing her fingers into the rough bark of the tree beside her. Jamie wanted to say that she was fine, but couldn't. Everyone would know it's a lie, herself most of all. Apollo hadn't come to see her since their fight and her attack…

Lucille still came to visit her every day and bring her meals, escort her outside and make sure that she would be fine by herself. It had been three days since she had last seen him, and her concussion had finally healed. The Ambrosia helped, but she was still taking a long time to heal...she had almost died, after all. Now able to think a little clearer and less prone to headaches, thinking seemed to be the only thing she did. Nevertheless, Jamie still found herself enjoying the comfort that came with walking among plants and standing in the sun. She would have enjoyed it even more if the world didn't seem so dull, yet, muted colors surrounded her like pastel wounds. It hurt to seen something so beautiful look so monotonous; it felt contradictory on a deep level that somehow disturbed her. This was the Realm of the Gods, shouldn't it be vibrant, bright, and ethereal? It was not, and that bothered her. Jamie sat down on the intricately carved stone bench that was just ahead of her, hand finding its way to her heavily bandaged stomach.

It still hurt, but less so than before. It was a throbbing ache that pierced right through her, from stomach to lower back. That wound was going to take the longest to heal, she was sure of it. The scar would join the many others littering her body, the ones covering her arms, legs, face, stomach, and back. She had more scars than she had years, but Jamie couldn't bring herself to care about that. She was better at walking now, but it still was difficult and very tiring. She made her way into the gardens, the orchard, the shallows of the forest...she spent more time outside than in, now, and it was relieving. Jamie was not able to make it very far in any direction, taking her time as she combed her way through the new world surrounding her. She was determined to become as acquainted as she could with this strange land, to learn as much about it as she could. It was the only thing she could do, besides walk and think. Becoming a part of the things surrounding her was never hard, she did it subconsciously.

It was easier than standing out and dealing with the fallout that came with the attention, something that she was forced into repeatedly, over and over again, her whole life, without relief and it hurt. It hurt to think about her father and it hurt to think about the cruel people who mocked her, but it hurt most of all to think about Lucy. It felt like someone had slapped her every time a memory intruded on her thoughts, guilt flooding her whenever she wished for it to stop. Jamie deserved it, all this pain. At least, that's what she convinced herself. The people who had loved her? Dead. She couldn't let anyone else that close again, afraid for their safety and sanity. She ruined everything, everything but did she really? Jamie wanted to say yes, yes with every fiber of her being, and she believed it. However, she wasn't sure if she could ever actually tell anyone that. It would only make things worse, for her and everyone else. That's how it always worked. Lost in her thoughts, Jamie flinched in surprise when she heard someone approach her from behind. She jerked her head around, eyes dancing wildly as she tried to catch sight of who it was.

Now standing, holding tight to the stone bench behind her for support, she called out, "Hello? Is anyone there?" The only sound to answer her was the caw of a raven as it flew over her head and landed in the tree behind her. Jamie squinted, staring down the path she had walked moments before, alone. Had she just imagined the sound? It was possible, knowing how unstable she felt. A breath of hot air rolled down the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine as she froze where she stood. Someone was standing directly behind her, and she was sure it was whoever she had heard moments before. Unable to stop her hands from shaking, she turned her head slightly to the right, catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure standing tall behind her, crouched on the bench she had been sitting on. "Show yourself," she commanded, tone steely and hard despite her tremouring body. The only thing she heard in response was a deep chuckle, the only thing she saw was a black-blue flash of dark light arcing over her head and stopping in front of her.

Then, when the light dissolved, there stood a man, hand over his heart, piercing gaze resting on her eyes with a slight smirk. When he straightened, Jamie noticed that he was several heads taller than her, probably about six feet in height, wearing a long black coat over a white buttoned shirt, red scarf dangling at his collar. His eyes matched the scarf, the maroon color looking like drops of blood on his pale face, strands of black hair sweeping over the left side in a rather dashing manner. "Hello," he began, voice dripping smoothly, like melted silver in a cast; light, pleasant, and controlled. "I, am Diablo," he motioned to himself in a grand sweeping gesture, "and I apologize if I alarmed you." He finished, smile melting into a gentler one, a hint of concern flashing through his expression. Jamie almost missed it; would have missed it if she hadn't been staring at him so intently. Letting out a breath of relief, she stayed standing, expression blank and voice controlled, only a hint of curiosity apparent. "You were that raven that flew overhead, weren't you? You know, you could have just said hello like a normal person instead of creeping up behind me like that." Jamie stated, tone matter of fact and stern, nervous with her inability to run if need be.

Diablo smirked, eyes glinting as he responded, "Ah, but where's the fun in that?" he teased, voice lilting as he glided closer to where Jamie stood. She tensed, unsure of what to expect from him, then was confused as he carefully sat on the far side of the stone bench. "Miss, please, sit down, you looking a little unsteady on your feet. I promise I won't bite." Jamie stared blankly at him, rapid calculations firing in her head as she deliberated whether to sit down or hobble away, screaming for help. Exhausted, she decided to sit down, keeping an eye on the strange man beside her. "May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?" Diablo asked, head tilted slightly to the side in an inquisitive manner. Jamie heaved a sigh before answering, still eyeing him warily, "Jamie," she said slowly, scooting a little farther into the stone armrest that was already pressing into her side. "Well, Miss Jamie, you are highly observant for a newcomer. Yes, I was the raven that you saw passing by." He paused, crossing one leg over the other with a flourish, "There has been a lot of talk about a young girl who appeared a few weeks ago, under the protection of Apollo. You are her, correct?" He asked, looking at her from the corner of his eye, an element of satisfaction present in his gaze.

Jamie nodded once, "Yes, I'm fairly certain the girl you are talking about is me. What of it?" she answered, a defensive tone creeping into her voice as she glared at Diablo. His smirk only grew in response, coloring his next words with a smug taint. "I simply wanted to meet the girl who I will be training, 'tis all." Jamie hesitated, anxiety and anger creeping up her throat as she spoke, "So now Apollo is sending one of his lackeys to deal with me? Coward," she muttered the last word, scowling at the ground in front of her. Her glare shifted to Diablo upon hearing his quiet laughter, indignant. "No, rather, he is worried about you. He doesn't trust himself to do a good job, so he asked me to, ah, accompany you," Diablo said, laughter fading. "That doesn't make him any less of a coward," Jamie objected, turning her torso to inspect Diablo for false information. He lifted one shoulder in a half shrug, "I suppose," he agreed, voice light.

Jamie harrumphed, turning to look back out at the field of flowers that stretched out in front of her, irritated. To her dismay, Diablo stayed seated next to her for the next couple hours before finally leaving, informing her that it was time for dinner. Diablo continued to accompany her in the gardens for the next several days, thankfully, without mentioning Apollo again. They had random conversations, mostly consisting of her asking questions about the Realm of the Gods and how the laws of nature worked there. After asking Lucille about him, she was relieved to find that she thought him a good person, making her feel a little more comfortable around him. Slowly, they began to be friends, and Jamie stopped thinking of him as someone sent by Apollo and began thinking of him as his own person instead. No one had ever mentioned that you needed to be friends with your physical trainer, and he had no reason to do this. In the back of her mind, doubtful thoughts lurked, telling her not to trust him just yet. She listened, and kept her distance. It wasn't until her shoulder healed the next week when she had her first real conversation with him.

"So, Diablo, who exactly are you? What kind of magic do you use?" Jamie asked, curiosity welling up inside her. Diablo smirked and turned into a raven, flying over and settling on her shoulder, cawing loudly in her ear. Jamie shrieked, shoving him off and yelled at him for scaring her, only to become angrier when Diablo transformed back into a human, doubled over with laughter. Several rude comments and deep breaths later, they had both calmed down and were sitting side by side. "Well, to answer your question, I am Diablo, the raven. I have three forms, two of which you have already seen. The third is a gryphon of sorts, primarily used for battle and transporting people when necessary," he said, gesturing with a flourish to accompany his explanation. Jamie's eyes glimmered as she proceeded to pepper him with questions, excited about the prospect of shape-shifting tied to different variations of a specific animal. Diablo laughingly answered them, heartwarming at the sight of the young girl looking more alive than he had ever seen her. He saw the blank looks and empty gazes, heard the dark muttered comments, and noticed the way she rubbed the scars on her wrist.

He knew she was suicidal, and was terrified that one day she would be gone and it would be all his fault for not trying harder, being kinder. That was the real reason that Apollo had sent him to Jamie, being her trainer was the excuse to keep an eye on her, and protect her from herself. There was no one who would readily hurt her, especially with her bearing his seal. The greatest danger posed against Jamie were the monsters that lived inside her. Diablo's heart broke every time he saw her cry without her noticing, knowing how much she must be hurting inside. He had been there before, experienced the pain and loss that she was feeling, and if it wasn't for Apollo...he wouldn't still be here. Apollo had saved him, and he would forever be indebted to him. So, when Apollo asked him to help Jamie, to be her companion when he could not, Diablo readily agreed. He grew to like the scarred little girl more and more as he spent time with her, admiring her strength and kindness and knowledge. She was brilliant; Diablo just wished that she could see that as well.

Later that day, a month since she had first arrived, Jamie was studying the environment around her when she noticed the distant bushes rustle silently. Curious and confused, she carefully inspected the area, trying to determine what could have made such a large movement with such little sound. Then, startled, she saw an arrow peek through the foliage, aimed straight towards where Diablo stood, facing the other direction. Now panicking, she ran at Diablo and shoved him to the side just as the arrow fired, moving him out of its path. She jolted backward when the arrow struck her upper arm, lodging itself in her flesh, crying out in pain. "JAMIE!" Diablo yelling, horrified to see that she had saved him at the cost of her own safety. Furious, he ran over to make sure that she was okay before whirling in the direction that the arrow had come from. Face contorted in fury, he sprinted off into the woods, hunting down whoever had dared to hurt his precious new friend. It wasn't long before he came back, white shirt stained red with a splotch of blood. He scooped Jamie into his arms, running back to Apollo's temple where she had been staying.

Jamie woke up later that day, somewhat disappointed that she survived the incident, but grateful that Diablo was okay. Upon opening her eyes and surveying her surroundings, she noticed that Lucille, Diablo, and Apollo were all in the room with her. Diablo was sitting in the only chair, hunched over with his hands buried in his hair, Lucille was bustling around her, bandaging her upper left arm and forcing her to drink more ambrosia, and Apollo was standing in the back corner, leaning against the wall as he observed the people around him. "Lucille, what happened? I remember pushing Diablo out of the way, and seeing him come back, but after that things are a little fuzzy." Diablo jumped at the sound of Jamie's voice, rushing over to see her before Lucille shooed him back to his seat, huffy and busy with her work. "Well, Miss Jamie, Diablo ran back here shouting frantically and caused quite the commotion." Diablo flushed where he sat, looking pointedly at the wall in front of him, "So I came and had to cut the arrow out, and wrap it up for you. Since it seemed to be a magic charged arrow, the ambrosia will heal this wound faster than your other ones have, partially because this one actually happened here."

Lucille smiled at her and continued to make sure that all of her bandages were fresh and in place. "It should be only about three weeks until your stomach wound heals, luckily it didn't pierce and organs. Your arm will be healed by next week, so you won't have to worry about that for long." She continued to talk, covering the awkward silence with information about her injuries and other random facts. It wasn't until Apollo coughed quietly that she stopped, turning around and fixing him with a glare. He sighed, and walked closer to the bed, hesitant to get much nearer, "Jamie, I just wanted to apologize for how I treated you. It was very wrong of me to be so insensitive, and I hope you'll forgive me," he mumbled, eyebrows creased and the corner of his mouth turned down in a self-depreciative expression.

Jamie smiled softly, eyes glinting with amusement, "Apology accepted; after all, you didn't know and I was kinda the one who started it," she said, smile growing bigger upon seeing the relief that spread across Apollo's face. "Well, I'm glad that's solved," Diablo muttered from his seat, pouting at the lack of attention he was receiving. Jamie laughed, giggling at the ridiculous people that she seemed to be surrounded with. Startled by the sudden silence, Jamie stopped laughing. "What?" She asked tentatively, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious. With an amazed expression on his face, Apollo was the one who answered, "Jamie, that is the first time I've ever heard you laugh," he broke out into a wide grin, "My Sunshine is finally feeling sunny!" he teased, chortling at Jamie's irritated expression due to the use of her nickname. They spent the rest of the evening talking together, discussing what would happen next. It was decided that Jamie's training with Diablo would start after the stab wound in her stomach healed, and Jamie was smiling more than she had in months.

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 **Thanks for reading! ~SSA**


	16. Chapter 16: Return to the Past

**Hello everyone! Sorry for taking so long to update...I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please R &R~**

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 **WARNING: There are mentions of suicide and abuse in this chapter, please read with discretion**

 **Chapter 16: Return to the Past**

A soft whisper of a song slipped through her lips, yearning and plaintive as she stared ahead blankly. " _I'll never be what you want me to be,"_ the wind whistled along with her, mournful and low, " _Just like you will never see,"_ a step forward, a sigh rushing out, " _me."_ Jamie paused, emptiness flushing her clean, leaving a heavy ache behind. The lyrics of a song flowed through her mind, almost haunting in its minor key. " _I will never be enough,"_ she hummed, " _not strong enough, not good enough, not smart enough, I will never satisfy"_ a tear slipped down her cheek unnoticed, its trail prickling with static energy, " _those who make me cry."_ She came to a stop in front of one of the statues in the garden, water flowing from its hand, mouth open as if singing along with her. "Wow," Jamie flinched, whipping her head around in shock, "that sounded…" her heart started racing as she noticed Diablo's amazed expression, edging away slowly as she continued to panic. "Like you were singing just for me. You have a beautiful voice, James. Why haven't I ever heard you sing before?" He asked, eyebrows furrowing as he noticed Jamie's hands shaking where she had them clenched by her side.

Eyes shut tight, Jamie tried to take a deep breath, shuddering while trying to calm herself. _It's just Diablo, Papa isn't here._ Inhale, _it's just Diablo._ Exhale. Upon opening her eyes again, she couldn't help the sad smile that ghosted her mouth, seeing Diablo standing in front of her. "Nah, I'm not that good," she quickly looked away, "Papa made me take music, so flute and piano are the only things I'm really okay at." Jamie swallowed hard, trying her hardest to keep the tears at bay, "Singing never made it onto that list," she stated matter of factly. When she turned her head, she was startled to see that Diablo had a harsh, angry look twisting his face into a fierce expression. "Hey, you doing okay?" Jamie asked, head tilted slightly to the side as she surveyed his tense posture. His face then slid into a blank one, his eyes meeting hers as he walked up to where she stood, his hand reaching out to her. Jamie tensed, unsure of what to expect. While she had grown closer to both Diablo and Apollo over the past few weeks, she still felt uncomfortable if they ever got too close. They had learned to keep their distance when Jamie had a particularly nasty flashback, leaving her in tears for the next few hours.

Diablo gently placed his outstretched hand on her shoulder, his eyes softening as he pulled her into a hug. Jamie stiffened up like a board, startled and not prepared for his show of affection. He released her quickly, a sheepish look on his face as he apologized quickly and asked if she was alright. _Why would anyone want to hug me?_ A distant look entered her eyes as she remembered... _Silly little girl, you think that anyone would actually like you? Tch, just as naive as your mother, you are. No wonder she didn't last very long._ A quiet gasp escaped her as she began to cry harder this time, pouring down her face as she kept replaying that scene in her mind, missing her mother more than ever. Why couldn't she just...be with her again? No one would miss her, they would probably be better off without her. Lucy was gone, and there was no one else to stay for. Why was she still there, alive? Breathing? It didn't make any sense. "Jamie, I'm so sorry, I should've asked first-" Diablo broke off, hands flapping as he tried to fix his mistake. Jamie couldn't answer and turned away as the world grew dizzy around her, stumbling to a halt as she was guided to one of the many stone benches that littered the area. She sat down, hair hanging in front of her face as she tried to hide her tears from Diablo. She hated crying, especially in front of other people.

After the tears finally stopped flowing and she was breathing properly again, Diablo finally ventured to speak. "You don't have to answer, but I wanted to ask...what happened to you?" he then froze, realizing his poor phrasing, "I mean- I didn't mean, ugh so _stupid_ Diablo, why can't you just keep your mouth shut?!" Diablo halted suddenly, realizing he had just said all of that out loud. A flush now crept up his neck as he stuttered awkwardly, freezing when he heard a breathy laugh beside him. He looked over with wide eyes, staring at Jamie as she wiped the lingering tears from her eyes. Jamie managed a small smile, looking over at Diablo with tired eyes. "It's fine, I know you didn't mean any harm. Next time just warn me first before you hug me, okay?" Face growing red from embarrassment, Diablo nodded quickly, staring at his shoes with an intensity that made Jamie laugh once more. After watching him for another minute, she made a compromise. "Hey, how about this? First, you tell me something about your past and then I'll tell you something about mine." Diablo shot Jamie a wide-eyed look, blood red color flashing as he glanced at her in surprise.

"No- it's fine, you don't have to-" he then heaved a sigh, relenting. "Alright." Then - running his fingers through his pitch black hair that, somehow, always seemed to fall perfectly, silky strands laying flat and under control - he shifted where he sat, getting in a more comfortable position. Staring off into the horizon with a grim expression, he began; "I was born - the firstborn - into a very poor family, centuries ago. As the eldest son, I was considered the most 'valuable', in a loose sense of the word. I had three younger sisters and only one brother, who was always weak and sick with some malady or another." He sighed, eyes slowly falling to the tree-line, "Everything was fine for a while. I worked as a blacksmith apprentice, my father worked as a baker in a rundown stall at the market, my mother sewed, and my sisters helped out at home, tending to my brother as well as helping with chores. But then...Ryan died." Here Diablo paused again, eyes stinging with unshed tears, throat constricted, now gazing in between the trees in the distance.

Then, clearing his throat with a cough, he continued. "Our whole family was grieving, and the responsibility and future of my mother and three sisters then fell onto my shoulders. My father had taken to drowning his sorrows in the taverns, wasting what little money he was able to make, so I was the only income besides what my mother managed to sell in the market," Diablo shifted again, lifting his right leg in a smooth, swooping motion and rested it on the other. "However, I was still only an apprentice; I held nothing to my name and we were starving for lack of food." A small sigh escaped his lips, mouth twitching down in one corner as he relived memories that he preferred forgotten, "But then...the plague came. A disease that had no mercy or scrutiny, it claimed over half the population of our secluded village, leaving desolate families and decomposing bodies in its wake. It claimed two of my sisters and my mother, leaving my father a broken man. It was then that he truly lost his mind, mad with grief and hunger. He dragged my sister, Elise, off one day when I was out at the market, and disappeared." Birds, ironically, chirped in the background, the tune sweet until you paid closer attention and caught the haunting melody, flashes of blue and black obscuring the sun. "It wasn't until several months later that I found their bodies, bloated and torn in a river that lay deep within the forest." Diablo took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he would say next, exhaustion sweeping over him.

"My father had committed suicide and drowned my sister with him. After spending months in the forest, I assume he went insane and wanted nothing but his family's presence, wife by his side and children at his feet. I was the only survivor, left alone in the land of the living, all by myself." Jamie stayed quiet as he continued to talk, telling her his story with a deep sense of melancholy and hurt that filled the space around them, listening intently as she learned of her new friend's past. "At that point, I was as good as dead. There was no way for me to earn or make my own food, so I had to resort to stealing it. One day, at the altar of sacrifice for the god Apollo, I made my last mistake; I had been so hungry and so weak that I foolishly stole food from its curved stone surface. Enraged and furious, the priests restrained me before I could run away, and tied me to the altar in place of the food I had stolen." Jamie gasped quietly in shock, heart breaking at the thought of everything that Diablo had gone through. Tears filled her eyes once more as she continued to listen, silently waiting for him to continue. "Just as they were bringing down the knife to kill me, cut out my beating heart and burn it there at the altar, a blinding flash of light appeared."

Diablo now looked directly at Jamie, dulled pain obvious in their red glow as he spoke, "Apollo had appeared. Furious with the priests for making a human sacrifice on a day that was supposed to be honored with peace, he struck them down. Then, turning to me, he looked into my soul and saw my past, my pain, and stilled. He asked me if I wanted another chance at life, this time with him, in his realm. I readily agreed, and he asked me if I was sure, saying that I would be indebted to him as a servant, and I said that any life was better than the one I was living. I knew that if I stayed, I would most likely be tortured and beaten for my 'crimes', so I jumped at the chance of having a fresh start. Apollo then pointed his finger to me, saying an indescribable word of power, and a beam of golden light surrounded me as I was transformed into a raven, which is one of his symbols. He teleported with me back to his realm, the Realm of the Gods, and introduced me to my new life." Silence enveloped them, and the world was still. Slowly, things began to come back to life, and sound returned to them once more.

"I'm sorry," Jamie whispered, shifting so that she was a little closer to where Diablo sat. He only sighed, a humorless smile marring his face. "You don't have to be," he said, chin in his hand, "You did nothing wrong." Jamie shot him an incredulous look before softening to a kinder expression, "That doesn't mean that it hurt any less," she began with an empathetic smile, "and no one deserves to feel that kind of hurt. I'm sorry that you, who has been nothing but kind to me, had to have such a painful past." Surprised and wide-eyed, Diablo could only stare in response. As liquid welled up in his eyes, he managed a watery smile, mumbling a soft but genuine "Thank you". Jamie smiled wider in response, kindness shimmering in her eyes, then froze. Her face slowly drained of any residual happiness as she thought of what was coming next. Now that Diablo had told her his story, vulnerable and honest about the horrible things he had faced, she felt more obligated than ever to be honest about hers. "I guess it's my turn, then?" she asked, voice strained, and Diablo spoke up in concern; "You don't have to do this, Jamie. It's okay if you can't talk about it." Jamie only shook her head slightly, voice small yet determined, "No, you deserve to know." With a deep breath, she prepared herself for something she would never be ready for.

She would be talking, for the first time, about the abuse and depression she had suffered from, and nothing could prepare her for the fear and difficulty that arose whenever she tried to speak. Clearing her throat, Jamie folded her hands together in her lap. "I grew up as an heiress to a wealthy family, expected to inherit the business my father had worked so hard to build. I had a twin sister," her voice cracked as she tried to continue, tears erupting at the mention of the half she had lost. "Her name was Lucy." Here Jamie paused, taking another deep breath as she tried to move on with the story, "My mother and father both loved us deeply, and spent almost every waking hour by our side. But...everything changed when she died. I was nine. She died two days before my tenth birthday, and we were all heartbroken. My father changed, and withdrew from us." Gasping for breath as her anxiety took over, Jamie had to wait a few minutes before she could speak again. "He...became abusive, and," her voice cracked again, forcing her pause before continuing, "there was nothing I could do to fix it. It wasn't that bad at first, he just got a lot angrier more often, spent a lot of time yelling at me."

"Later, though, it started becoming more physical. The first time he hit me was an accident, and he promised it would never happen again. He broke that promise in less than a week." At this point, Jamie was crying so hard that she couldn't speak. Diablo felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. _She grew up in an abusive family?_ He thought, more pieces of the puzzle that composed Jamie clicking into place. That would explain why she was so uncomfortable with him or Apollo touching her...no wonder she was so skittish. A burning rage began to build in his chest, furious at the treatment that Jamie had received _from her own father_. Diablo shook his head, trying to clear it as Jamie finally continued speaking, her voice a low whisper, "The only reason I stayed, was for my sister. Lucy needed me, and there was no way that I'd leave her alone with my father. Even after everything that happened...I still love him. He- he was just as broken and hurting as I was, and I knew he still loved us too." Her sentence ended in a sob, tears pooling by her feet. "Two years had passed, but things only got worse. I had had enough, and the day after Christmas, I decided to spend the day in the woods. That's-"

Jamie broke off again, cries of anguish tearing from her chest, sobbing, "That's when I was f-found by the g-group of men from a mercenary guild, who were planning on killing b-both me and my sister. I-I managed to take a c-c-couple of them out but ended up almost dying. That's when I came here." Unable to speak, Jamie could only cry as she tried to finish her story. "M-m-my s-sister L-Lucy, she-" she wrapped her arms around her stomach, holding on tightly as she rocked herself back and forth, "She's p-probably d-d-dead and-" Jamie sobbed, "and who knows w-wh-what they did to her b-before s-sh-she d-died." At this point, Jamie was crying so hard she couldn't breathe, let alone continue speaking. Diablo felt helpless, watching her relive such awful memories and not being able to do anything about it. "Jamie," he called, causing her to look up at him, a waterfall of tears and pain cascading down her face, "Can I hug you now?" Diablo asked, voice trembling slightly as he watched his friend suffer. The relief that overtook him when she nodded her consent was overwhelming, and he swiftly scooped the crying girl into his arms. She was so tiny, her shuddering frame weak as she sobbed, arms wrapped tight around Diablo's waist.

Diablo rocked her back and forth, whispering soothing nothings into her ear as he held her close. "It's okay, I'm here," he murmured softly into her hair, gently rubbing her back, "You'll be alright; no one can hurt you now." The fire burning within his chest only grew as Jamie continued to cry, furious that anyone could have hurt such a loving girl. She was just a _child_ for gods' sake! He had only known her for a month, but he already knew, he was going to protect this girl with his life. She had become more precious to him, in such a short time, than anyone had ever been before. Somehow, that small, broken girl wormed her way past all of his defenses and set up permanent residence in his heart. He loved her with every fiber of his being and knew that he would forever be by her side, doing everything he could to keep her happy and safe. They had both lost their families, had broken pasts, yet were still alive, still trying...Diablo paused as a thought occurred to him, smiling as he pulled away slightly from Jamie, hand on her cheek. "Hey, we've got each other now. This is our new family."

Jamie smiled weakly through her tears, nodding in agreement as she leaned back into Diablo's comforting embrace...When was the last time she had been hugged like this? It had been almost a year ago, when Lucy had stumbled upon her crying, fighting every instinct to stay alive. Then, she had hugged her, soothed her, and assured her that everything was going to be okay. She had reminded Jamie why she was still trying, still doing everything she could to stay. It was for her family. Now, even though Lucy was gone, her memory stayed with her, present in everything that she did. Sometimes it hurt more than it helped, thinking about everything that she had left behind. In the end, she was grateful for the memories, even though they were painful to retain. They reminded her of the good in the world, and to see the good in the people around her. _Life may give us many reasons to be cold...we just have to find the heart not to be._ There, still wrapped in Diablo's arms, she took comfort in what he had said. Smiling softly, she responded, voice raspy from tears, "Yeah, it is." He was right; she had a new family now. While that could never replace the hole that her real family had left, it soothed the ache and brought a semblance of happiness that she thought she would never have again.

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 **Thank you so much for reading! Have a wonderful week~ SSA**


	17. Chapter 17: When You Begin Again

**Hello everyone! I am sooo sorry for not posting in so long...but I'm almost done with the next chapter, and that should go up this weekend! Thank you so so much for reading my story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! Things should start to get a little more exciting soon...**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

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 **Chapter 17: When You Begin Again**

Today was the day; she was finally going to see the nasty scar that was left on her stomach. It had now healed enough to remove the bandages and start physical therapy, and Jamie was ecstatic to leave the aching pain it caused behind. She was ready to get stronger. "Jamie, can I come in?" The sound of Lucille's voice startled Jamie out of the reverie she had been in, still dazed as she answered, "Yeah," she fiddled with the hem of her shirt, peeking at the bandages beneath, "Sure, that's fine," Jamie said, distracted. Lucille walked in swiftly, arms full of medical supplies as she set everything down in a very precise order.

"Are there any stitches in it?" Jamie asked, curious to know whether she had been sewn back together or not. Lucille shot her an amused look, eyes glinting as she held her surgical scissors out in front of her. "Of course! Your wounds were very severe after all. However, they have already been taken out, so you won't be able to see them." Lucille stated, lifting up the hem of Jamie's shirt so she could inspect the bandages wrapped around her torso. With a swift nod of satisfaction, she began to use her scissors to cut the bandages off, layer by layer, until all that remained was a single cloth.

Lucille looked into Jamie's eyes, "Are you ready?" she inquired, silently asking for permission to continue. After closing her eyes and taking another deep breath, Jamie nodded firmly, head tilted back as she stared blankly at the ceiling. " _So beautiful,"_ she thought, eyes following the intricate carvings that decorated the vaulted walls and inclines. Then, feeling a cold draft of air going over her now exposed stomach, Jamie looked down swiftly, eyes widening at the pink, puckered scar that now marred her skin. Surprised by how the amount of space it was taking up, etched into the right side her belly, she ran her fingers over the ridged skin lightly, shuddering at the pricks of energy that were sent down her spine.

All Jamie could seem to do was stare blankly at her stomach, fingers exploring absentmindedly as everything around her seemed to stop. " _So many scars,"_ she thought, " _is this all really worth it?_ " "Jamie?" The sound of Lucille's voice snapped her out of the trance she had been in, "Huh?" she replied, still dazed and unfocused. With a small smile, Lucille then asked how she was doing, at which point Jamie realized that her shirt was still pulled up, exposing her scarred stomach. With a quick jerk downwards, Jamie forced a convincing smile on her face as she answered, "I'm fine! Just a little tired, that's all," she lied, trying to stay present.

Her memories threatened to come in and take over, the sight of her latest additional scar sending heavy flashbacks that kept trying to drag her under. "I think I just need a moment, if you don't mind," Jamie admitted, avoiding Lucille's searching gaze. Although skeptical, she relented, "Okay dear, I'll be back later with lunch. Sound good?" Lucille asked, waiting until she received Jamie's confirming nod before she walked out the door and shut it behind her. After a few moments of silence, a sudden, low voice came from beside her, "So, how does it look?" Heart racing, Jamie took a deep breath when she saw it was only Diablo. "Jeez Di, don't scare me like that! How did you even get in here without me noticing?" She demanded, still trying to calm herself down.

Face twisted into an incredulous expression, Diablo responded, "I knocked and walked in when you didn't answer. How did you not hear me?" he asked, giving Jamie a pointed look. Glancing away sheepishly, Jamie spoke quietly. "I wasn't really paying attention," she admitted, trying not to think of the grotesque scar she had just seen, it's image flashing into view every time she closed her eyes. "I see," Diablo coughed dryly, the corner of his mouth twisted down into a slight frown, "That much is obvious. Care to explain what has you so distracted?" Jamie heaved a sigh, letting herself fall back onto her bed, bouncing slightly.

"It's my scar. You know, the one from when my stomach was cut open?" Diablo nodded slowly, not sure where she was going with this, "Yeah, that one. Not only is it gross and bigger than I thought it would be, but it also brings back things that I would rather forget." Jamie groaned, still trying to keep the memories at bay. After a few moments, silence ringing in their ears, Diablo spoke, voice gentle, "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, shifting so that he was facing her directly. Jamie only sighed in response, still sprawled across her bed.

"Okay, I'll take that as a no then," Diablo muttered, bemused as Jamie shot him a look of exasperation. Suddenly jerking herself upright, voice animated, Jamie had an idea; "Why don't we just start training now? I always love moving around when I need to clear my head!" She pleaded, eyes bright with hope. Startled by her outburst, Diablo paused before responding. "Well, I don't see why not...just promise me that you'll be careful with yourself, okay? You just got better, we don't need you getting injured all over again just because you couldn't wait to move around."

Shooting him a glare, Jamie huffed as she sat on the edge of her bed, feet swinging in the air. " 'Kay, let's go then!" She exclaimed, sliding off the mattress to stand on the floor. "Diablooo, come ooon," Jamie groaned, pulling on his arm as he sat stubbornly, smirking at the small girl in front of him. "Fine, fine, stop yanking on my arm so I can get up." Shifting his weight as he stood, Diablo was still grumbling as Jamie pulled him out of her room and down the temple corridor. Then, as they turned the corner, Lucille appeared, scowling as she carried a tray of food that, presumably, was Jamie's lunch.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Lucille demanded, hand on her hip as she glared at the pair of them, who were both trying not to smile. "I can see you laughing at me, mister. I may be old, but I am not blind!" She groused, still waiting for an answer as she blocked their exit. Looking at each other, Jamie and Diablo silently formed a plan; with a small gesture, he motioned for her to run while he distracted Lucille. Jamie nodded, slowly edging behind Diablo and away from the well-meaning maid, waiting for her cue. "Of course not, my dear! You look as lovely as ever, and not a day older since we first met."

Still glaring at Diablo, Lucille looked unamused as he tried to sweet talk her. "If you think flattery is going to get you out of this, think again," she said, leaning forward slightly as she stared him down. Diablo continued to speak, gesturing grandly as he talked, "Ah, but I only speak the truth! Your beauty is enchanting, you smile kind and...welcoming." He nudged Jamie with his foot, giving her the signal as he walked closer to where Lucille stood. Moving slowly, she edged away from Diablo and Lucille, stepping lightly as she moved as quietly as she could.

After walking far enough away, Jamie broke out into a run as she headed to their typical meeting place. As soon as Jamie started running, Diablo grinned apologetically with a bow, sweeping his hand across his chest smoothly. "Sorry, my love, but I'm afraid we'll have to finish this conversation at a later date." Then, turning into his raven form, Diablo flew away down the hall to catch up with Jamie. "Now wait just a second, come back here! I knew you were up to good, the two of you with that impish look all over your faces," She yelled after them, voice echoing as she stormed away.

Laughing and out of breath, Jamie slowed down upon reaching the stone bench in the garden where she always sat, leaning on it for support while she waited for Diablo. A single caw of a bird cut through the silence, alerting Jamie to his presence. Sweeping down in front of her, Diablo transformed mid-air, landing softly on his feet. A wicked grin crossed his face, snickering as he sat beside his friend. "You should've seen the look on her face; she was furious!" He chuckled, eyes glinting in amusement as Jamie smirked at him.

"I do feel a little guilty though, she always means well," Jamie admitted, stretching her feet out in front of her, watching as they fell back to the ground. "Well, don't feel too bad - sometimes you gotta escape for a while," Diablo stood up smoothly, offering Jamie his hand as he continued, "You know this better than anyone." Sighing, Jamie took hold of his hand, letting him pull her up. Then, brushing off his hands, Diablo looked down at Jamie, "So, what do you want to start with?" He asked, head tilted and eyebrow raised. Before she could answer, Diablo clapped his hands together with a satisfied expression.

"Have you ever done yoga before?" Jamie shook her head, confused, "No, what is it?" "It's a series of stretches and positions that build core and muscle strength as well as increasing flexibility." Face blank, Jamie stared at Diablo as she processed what he had said; "That sounds complicated. And hard," she stated shortly, crossing her arms over her chest. Diablo only smirked, gesturing for her to follow him. "I promise you, it's not. Most of the time," he clarified, snickering as Jamie huffed loudly from behind, noisily trudging in a not-so-silent protest.

Diablo paused and turned around, raising an eyebrow at Jamie's behavior. "Do you need me to carry you?" He teased, laughing at her affronted look. Now scowling, Jamie huffed again, stomping faster to walk ahead of the still laughing figure now behind her. "Do you even know where you're going?" Diablo called, voice holding an amused lilt as he strode faster to catch up with her. "Do I need to?" Jamie asked snarkily, snorting at Diablo's stifled giggles, shaking her head. That, however, only made him laugh harder, to the point where Jamie was snickering as well.

Finally, she couldn't take it anymore and whirled around to face Diablo, pointing an accusing finger at his face, "You!? Stop making me laugh, I'm trying to be mad at you!" Her shout only made him laugh even more, now guffawing as he stumbled closer to where Jamie stood. "Hey! I said stop it," she yelled, pouting when she received no reaction. Fed up with how he was acting, Jamie kicked Diablo's shin with a swift, powerful move, grumbling loudly as she stomped away. "Ow! Hey, James, that hurt," He whined, noticing that she had already gone pretty far ahead. "Jamie! Come on, I was just teasing!"

Noticing that she was either ignoring him or couldn't hear him anymore, Diablo transformed into a raven with a blinding flash of blue light, cawing loudly as he flew after her. Still ignoring him, Jamie flipped him off as she marched under the shade of a willow tree, effectively blocking Diablo from following her any further. Squawking in distress, he pushed his wings forward to prevent crashing into the mire of overhanging branches, swooping back higher to see whether Jamie had left yet or not. Seeing that she hadn't, he dived down in a smooth spiral, transforming back and landing lightly on his feet.

Jamie slid down the tree, back pressed into the smooth bark. _"A weeping willow; how ironic."_ she thought, remembering all the days she had spent underneath the willow tree back at the estate. So many days she had sat there, mind reeling, thoughts chaotic. How was she supposed to move on when all she could think about was the past? _You really think they actually love you?_ An incredulous voice asked, echoing through her head, bouncing off the walls over and over and over again... _Who would give a damn about you? Worthless…_

"Jamie?" Diablo's voice brought her back to reality, where she was still sitting on a patch of moss underneath the canopy of flimsy branches. _Jamie? Are you okay?_ Lucy's voice echoed, piercing through everything else, leaving Jamie gasping for breath. "Hey, I'm sorry for teasing you. I didn't mean to make you upset," He pleaded, waiting for her to answer. Silence rang, leaving both of them slightly disoriented, wind pushing the branches back just enough for Diablo to see the blank expression occupying Jamie's face.

Ducking through the now open space, Diablo knelt on the ground in front of the little girl before him. Voice soothing and gentle, he tried again; "Jamie? Are you okay?" Her eyes - _Jamie? Are you okay?_ \- snapped up to his, dull pain flashing - _Jamie?_ \- through them before clearing away - _Jamie, are you okay?_ \- to leave her face empty once more. Glancing down at the moss beneath them, tears gathered in her eyes, avoiding eye contact with the man before her. All she could see was her sister's face, all she could hear was her voice.

"Jamie, hey, look at me," Diablo begged, heart hurting at the brokenness flashing across Jamie's features. Reaching out, he placed his hand on her cheek, lifting her head so that her eyes met his. Now seeing her face clearly, Diablo felt like he had been punched; all of the air left his lungs as he swept the small girl into his arms. "Jamie, listen to me. I'm here, please, stop crying," He pleaded, wiping away the tears that only kept coming. Sighing heavily, Diablo gave up and just held her close as she wept, wishing with all his heart that he could take her pain away.

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 **THANK YOU FOR READING! Please R &R, and have a wonderful weekend! ~SSA**


	18. Chapter 18: Training Starts Now

**Hello all! I am so sorry for not updating for so long! There were finals and exams and I was out of country and it was insane. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

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 **Chapter 18:** **Training Starts Now**

Jamie couldn't see clearly, tears obscuring her vision, sound distorted around her. _"Jamie...look...me,"_ Diablo's voice filtered to her ears as if he had been speaking underwater, smooth like the liquid that seemed to surround her. _"Jamie….listen…...here, plea-...s….cryi-"_ Then, slowly, her head seemed to clear. Thoughts clashing into each other, all she could process was that she was surrounded in someone's warm embrace. Diablo. "D-Diablo?" she croaked, voice fluctuating as she tried to speak.

Smiling gently as he held her, he responded, "Hey, I'm right here, it's okay," Diablo assured, putting her down softly so that she was leaning against the tree again for support. "Let's practice tomorrow instead, okay? You should rest a little more for today." Now more settled back into reality, Jamie realized what he was trying to do. "No!" she protested, eyes blazing, "I can't stay in bed anymore! It's killing me to just sit there, doing nothing."

Diablo frowned in concern, "But Jamie, you-" Jamie cut him off, tone insistent. "But nothing. If you want to help, this is how. Help me get stronger." Diablo let his breath out slowly, searching Jamie's face for any hint of doubt. Upon finding none, he sighed and offered her his hand. Face splitting into a smile, Jamie took his hand in hers, letting him pull her up. Making sure she was steady on her feet first, Diablo then pushed the branches of the willow tree aside with one arm, gesturing for her to follow with the other.

"Let's go then," he said, smiling wanly, still obviously worried about Jamie. As if sensing his unease, Jamie spoke in a crisp voice without looking back. "I'm not going to change my mind, so save it," she said, smirking when she heard Diablo huff in irritation. "So, Di, where are we going?" she asked, smirking again as Diablo's posture slumped in defeat. He glanced at her out of the corner of her eye and sighed softly before answering. "Well, there's a really nice glade just outside the gardens that I was thinking of, nearby the West Wood's fringe. Lots of open space, but still nice and secluded so we won't be disturbed."

Jamie smiled brightly at him, trying to lift the heavy feeling that was weighing them both down. "How far is it?" She asked, nudging Diablo with her elbow, pretending that she hadn't done anything when he shot her an amused glare. "Well, Miss Jamie, we'll be there in a few minutes, so don't you worry your pretty little head about it," He teased sarcastically, smirking in triumph when Jamie grumbled heavily in response, mostly about how there was much more to her than a "pretty face".

Diablo agreed, and nodded his head slightly along with what he could gather from her indistinctive words, smiling to himself; she was sticking up for herself, albeit in an unusual way. "Hey, Diablo!" She whined, pretending to stumble as she reached out her hand comically, looking at her friend in desperation, "How much longer?" Jamie gasped, one hand draped dramatically across her forehead, the other grasping at the air around his arm. Diablo chuckled softly, coming to a stop as he looked on in amusement.

"Oh dear, it looks like you aren't up for training today after all! Here, I'll carry you back so you can rest," Diablo joked, sweeping Jamie off her feet bridal style, striding forward to where he planned to train. "Oi Diablo! Put me down, you idiot," Jamie yelled squirming in his arms, whacking his face accidentally. "Oops. Well, sorry not sorry, I guess. Will you please put me down now? I'm afraid your health may be compromised if this continues." She quipped, staring him in the eye seriously.

Diablo gave a half smile, smirking as he put her down with a grand motion, sweeping over in a bow before straightening, arm across his chest in deference. "As you wish, my lady," He mused, voice smooth and velvety, head bowed slightly. Jamie guffawed, pointing at her friend with one hand and grasping her shirt with the other. "You're so ridiculous," she giggled, still laughing when Diablo gave up with a sigh, walking ahead as if nothing had happened. "Seeing you acting like a gentleman is hilarious; it really doesn't suit you."

Diablo huffed in irritation, taking offense to her mocking of his behavior. "Yeah, well, if you don't want me to be a gentleman, what _do_ you want me to do?" Jamie was quietly humming as she skipped along behind him, pretending not to hear his demanding question. Teasing him was quite enjoyable, and she didn't especially feel like stopping. Then, as the worn cobbled path came to an end, a grand, tall, intricately carved archway marked the gateway to a sweeping open field that transitioned into a forest the farther you looked.

Jamie ran ahead, eyes open wide in an expression of excited wonderment. She halted suddenly, standing underneath the curve of the archway, a sigh of delight escaping from her lips. The wind pushed her forward, loose clothing flapping as she resisted its pull. "Diablo, this is amazing!" Jamie turned around to face him, smiling widely as her eyes glinted with anticipation. Diablo crossed his arms over his chest, smug smile in place as he followed Jamie into the glen, footsteps fluid and precise.

"I'm glad you like it." Diablo drawled, gesturing for her to follow him further into the area, still smirking in satisfaction. Upon finding a wide, hollowed curve that was fairly close to the treeline, he stopped. "This is where we will train. I hope you like it," He murmured the last part, not really wanting Jamie to hear. "Well, I do. You did good," Jamie said, poking Diablo's arm softly as she walked ahead, choosing where she wanted to stand. Diablo shook his head, but followed nonetheless, and paused once a short distance away from the spot Jamie had chosen.

"Okay, so let's start with the basics," Diablo spoke, stretching his arms as he widened his stance. Jamie copied his movements, paying close attention to his every action. As they continued, Diablo would often state his directions out loud, sometimes coming over to fix Jamie's position. As time went on, she started to sweat heavily, muscles aching and trembling as she pushed herself to keep going. Ten minutes later, Diablo stopped and called it a day, smiling encouragingly at Jamie as he congratulated her.

"Well done! You did better than I had expected for someone who has been bedridden for months. How active were you at the estate?" Diablo asked, handing Jamie a bottle of water as they slowly started to walk back towards the temple. Jamie breathed heavily, inhaling deeply before responding. "Well, I did have formal training for ballroom dancing and proper actions, so that helped keep me on my toes." she paused, taking another deep breath before continuing, "I also trained on my own a lot, mostly at night when I couldn't' sleep. I had studied physical health and healing to the point where I was able to make my own program of sorts, so there was that as well."

Diablo whistled lowly, raising an eyebrow as he gave Jamie a pointed look. "You were quite the hustler it would seem. Did you ever have a moment's peace to yourself, or were you always that busy?" He asked incredulously, surprised by her dedication to everything she did. Jamie shot him an irritated glare, unamused. "Before my mother passed? Yes. After that? No, not really. I did my best to stay busy because it was the best distraction that I had." She replied, yawning loudly in exhaustion. Diablo hummed in response, deep in thought as they continued to walk down the cobblestone path.

"What about now? Do you miss the chaos, or do you enjoy the stillness that seems to smother everything here?" Looking at Diablo out of the corner her eye, she gave a sly grin before answering with a smug "No comment." Pouting, Diablo shot her an injured look, whining, "Hey, this isn't an interrogation, you know," He said, pout turning into a smirk at the irritated twitch that then became prominent on Jamie's face. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," She muttered, walking faster so that she was just ahead of Diablo. After a moment of silence, she spoke again, voice hesitant as she thought carefully, stringing her words together like beads of water perched on the edge of a blade of grass.

"Honestly, I don't know. Sometimes I miss the chaos - everything has been so boring here - but when I think about it...It's hard to feel anything but pain." Diablo stared after Jamie, a muted look of sadness overtaking his expression. "Well, at least you can take comfort in knowing that things are about to get a lot more exciting around here!" Diablo said dryly, voice smooth with inflections for emphasis. Jamie sighed, looking back over her shoulder at him, a wry smile prominent before she looked forward once more. "I suppose you're right," She exhaled, head tilted to the side in deep thought.

Later, after they had both rested and talked more about how training would proceed and what it would look like, Jamie lay in bed with her head stuffed full of thoughts like cotton leaking from a worn plush bear, overused and falling apart. Her muscles ached from the exertion; she hadn't put much effort into moving her body for so long...she was weak. Jamie could feel herself waver, wondering if going through with the plan she had discussed with Diablo was really worth it. It would be difficult and would take a lot of time and effort. Was she really prepared to commit to this?

 _"Yes, I am,"_ She thought with conviction, fist clenched at her side. _"I can do this."_ She needed to get stronger, and this is how she would do it.

The next morning when Jamie woke up, Lucille was standing over her with a scowl, hands on her hips as she looked down at the girl in bed with a glare. "Don't think I've already forgiven you from yesterday, Missy," She grumbled, eyebrows drawing in as she frowned harder, "Tch. I should've known that he would be a bad influence on her…" The grumpy lady trailed off, huffing in irritation as she recalled the events from the previous day. Still muttering to herself, Lucille then turned away and picked up a tray of food, placing it on the surface next to Jamie's bed. "I got breakfast for you. Please actually eat it this time, I know you've just been giving most of it to Diablo."

Jamie looked away sheepishly, smiling nervously as she shifted so she was sitting up in the bed with her covers still draped over her legs. "Thank you, Lucille. I really appreciate this," Jamie said quietly but earnestly, leaning towards where her friend stood as she tried to convey her sincerity. Lucille's hard expression softened, and she patted Jamie softly on the head. "I know, dear, I know." Then, giving her one last pointed look that shifted to the plate beside Jamie, Lucille walked quietly out of the room, a faint smile gracing her lips. Sighing lightly, Jamie lifted the plate of food onto her lap, picking up the utensil laying next to it, raising the first bite to her mouth.

"Finally eating, I see?" Jamie shot Diablo a deathly glare, before turning her expression into one of surprise upon seeing Apollo enter the room behind him. "Yeah, yeah. Shut up," Jamie grumbled, going back to eating as she ignored both of their presence. It wasn't until Apollo cleared his throat that Jamie looked up again, irritation flickering in her eyes as she waited expectantly. "Yes?" She drawled in a flat tone, motioning for him to speak with her fork. Diablo struggled to keep his face blank, smothered laughter causing his chest to shake as he tried to stay silent.

"How have you been, Jamie?" Apollo asked, a small smile adorning his lips. Jamie raised her eyebrows, clearly unamused. "Really? _That's_ what you wanted to ask me?" She demanded, incredulously shaking her fork in his direction. At this, Diablo couldn't hold back his laughter anymore and he let out a strangled guffaw that caused both Apollo and Jamie to look at him, one in irritation and the other in concern. Diablo waved them off, taking deep breaths as he tried to school himself. "I'm perfectly fine, continue on," He said in an airy tone, failing to keep the amused glint out of his expression.

Sighing, Apollo turned back only to see that Jamie was no longer paying attention, and instead, continuing to eat her breakfast. After a few moments of silence, she paused, glancing over to where the pair stood. "You gonna say anything or what?" She asked, elbow on her knee as she supported her head with her hand, still waiting for something more exciting to happen. "Well, I just thought you might like to know that Diablo here came to me to talk about your training plan. It has been decided that the both of you will eat breakfast here, go out and train, have lunch there, then come back for dinner. This is how it will be every day for the next while, but don't worry; Diablo will make sure to take care of you and give you lots of breaks."

After Apollo finished explaining, he fell silent again, waiting for Jamie's reaction. Jamie simply stared at him for a moment longer, before turning back to finish her food. "So, Jamie, what do you think?" Diablo asked snarkily, hoping to catch her attention, worried that she would be opposed to his idea. "That sounds fine," Jamie stated with a firm, closed off tone, trying her best to create some distance between her and her friends. She had always felt uncomfortable about eating in front of other people, but she didn't want them to know that, so she tried her hardest to stay calm and aloof despite the tightness in her chest that began to restrict her breathing and how her rapidly beating heart made her light-headed and dizzy.

Forcing herself to calm down, Jamie picked up her tray and put it back on the surface beside her bed. "Well, I'm almost ready to start if you want, I just wanna take a clean up a little first." She said in a quiet voice, turning so that her body was now facing both Diablo and Apollo. Diablo's face brightened at her response before deflating when he took in her nervously closed off expression, folding in on herself to make her seem smaller. "Hey Jamie, you doing okay?" Diablo asked, concerned. Jamie's eye flickered up to see his mild frown before going back down to the ground, making herself take a deep breath before responding.

"I'm fine, just a little tired," She lied convincingly, turning away so that they couldn't see her conflicted expression. Still unconvinced, Diablo hummed in suspicion, nudging Apollo with his elbow and a pointed look. Clearing his throat, Apollo then spoke up, "Well, I guess we'll be going then and leave you to get ready. Diablo will be waiting for you outside the main doors of the temple while I go attend to some business." He said, smiling weakly at her as he shoved Diablo out the door, shutting it behind them. Jamie snorted at their attempt to be discreet and changed out of her pajamas into the training outfit that Diablo had given her the previous day.

When she was ready, Jamie half-jogged down the cavernous halls of Apollo's temple, mentally preparing herself for what she expected to be a long day. As she pushed open the heavy ornate double doors with a grunt, sunlight filtered in through the cracks, sending showers of glittering light as it reflected off of the smooth marble floor. "Jamie! There you are, I was wondering what was taking you so long," Diablo called out to her, smirking as she scowled in response. "Excuse me, but I didn't take that long. You are simply incapable of waiting for anything," She teased in retaliation, smirking back as she placed a hand on her hip.

"Well, you ready to get going then?" Diablo asked, standing tall as he inspected Jamie's appearance. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, Jamie replied with confidence. "Of course. The real question here is if _you_ are ready, my friend." She sassed, walking past him and down the path he had shown her the day before. "Excellent," Diablo said, clapping his hands together, "Then let's get going!" When they both arrived, walking into the field from underneath the archway, Jamie hummed in appreciation of the beautiful scenery that surrounded her. There was a gentle wind blowing, rustling the leaves in the trees where they stood, proud and tall, reaching for the heavens.

Walking to their places that they had determined yesterday would be their training spot, Diablo gestured for Jamie to pay attention. "So, the first thing we will work on is just strengthening your core muscles and working on flexibility. We will also do cardio and endurance work, but that'll be later on in the day." Diablo said, using his hands to describe as he spoke, and Jamie nodded her head attentively. As they got into some of the first exercises, Jamie felt pain flash through her stomach, just around where her stab wound had just recently healed.

She ignored it, and pushed through the pain, holding her body in the positions as it shook slightly in protest. Diablo noticed, and called for her to stop. "Make sure that you aren't pushing yourself too hard - this should not be causing you pain. If it is, something is wrong. Be more gentle with yourself, okay?" Jamie nodded once to show she had heard and went back to the pose they had just been in. Ten minutes in, Jamie was already sweating and her muscles began to ache. Diablo called a break, and they sat in the shade of the trees as they drank water to cool themselves off and rehydrate.

Throughout the rest of the morning, Jamie trained with Diablo. She was determined to get stronger, and she pushed herself hard to do everything she could. Diablo noticed her dedication and smiled to himself, glad that she had found something to do. By the time Diablo called the break for lunch, Jamie was wobbly on her feet, letting herself fall to the ground where she lay on her back in exhaustion. "Jamie, are you feeling okay? Do you want to stop for the day after we eat lunch? You really should be careful, you know." Diablo said, lecturing her out of concern. Jamie rolled her eyes in response and waved him away as she got up to go sit under the shade.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," She muttered, working to even out her breaths. "How about you focus on finding us some lunch, huh?" Jamie suggested, crossing her arms over her chest as if she was daring Diablo to go against her. Diablo just sighed and turned around to grab the basket he had brought with them. "I brought us some food in here; Lucille packed us some ambrosia nectar and a bento box each," Diablo said, putting it down between them and sitting back against a tree. With a sweeping wave of his hand, he exclaimed, "Lunch is served, my Lady. Your food awaits."

The rest of the day ran smoothly, and before she knew it, training was over for the day and it was time to eat dinner. "Good job, James! You held up really well today," Diablo complemented, giving Jamie a high five as they walked back down the path that headed to the temple. Jamie smiled weakly at him, slumped in exhaustion as her entire body ached, protesting each and every movement that she made. "Thanks Di, that was fun," Jamie said, stretching her arms out over her head with a grunt. Then, after rolling out her neck, she continued to speak, "I think I'm gonna go take a soak in the hot springs before dinner, I'm way too sweaty."

Diablo looked over at her and agreed silently, thinking that taking a bath would most definitely be a good idea - for both of them. "You know where the springs are, right?" Diablo asked, exhaling in relief when Jamie nodded yes. "I'll just walk you there, then. The men's area is fairly close by to it." Diablo said, smiling at Jamie as she stumbled over a rock, chuckling at her clumsiness. "I thought that Princesses were supposed to be graceful," He teased, snickering at the harsh glare he received. "I told you before and I'll say it again; I'm _not_ a flipping princess?!" Jamie shouted, stomping off ahead of him and slamming the door to the baths behind her.

A wall had been erected around the area, splitting the springs into two sections for men and women. Jamie stripped off her sticky clothes with disgust, sighing in relief when her sore body sank into the steaming water. "Ahhhh, this is nice," She sighed, leaning back as she felt her strained muscles relax. After spending a while in the water and washing herself off, Jamie climbed out of the spring in regret. She really didn't want to get out yet, but dinner was waiting. After drying herself off and getting dressed, she ran over to the temple where Apollo had told her they would eat. It would be their first official meal together, and Jamie was excited. These were people who cared about her, people who she could laugh with. Grinning as she took a deep breath, Jamie pushed open the temple doors and rushed in, hungry and ready to eat.

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 **Thank you for reading! I love you all, and have a wonderful rest of your day :)**


	19. Chapter 19: Stagnant Waters

**Hello again! There will be one more chapter posted today, so hold on tight!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail, Hiro Mashima does**

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 **Chapter 19: Stagnant Waters**

Jamie lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with a blank gaze that seemed to take in everything and nothing at the same time. " _Tired, lost, alone,"_ she thought, " _Never with a home."_ Sighing for what felt like the hundredth time that evening, she let her eyes drift from the vaulted ceiling to the window that extended from floor to ceiling. "I'm not afraid," she exhaled, even as her hands trembled beside her. Training with Diablo was going well, and she was getting stronger. She could walk on her own now, without getting tired to the point of collapsing. She could run, albeit for very short distances, and she was getting closer to being able to function at a basic level. That terrified her.

What was she supposed to do? Cry? Already been there, done that. Jamie was tired of crying, tired of feeling so heavy all the time. It felt like if it weren't for the ground holding her up, she would fall all the way to the center of the Earth. Not that she was even on Earthland any more...she was in the Realm of the Gods. Hearing footsteps approach her doorway, Jamie turned her head to look at the door and saw Diablo standing there, lithe body leaning against the doorframe. "Hey James, what are you thinking about this time?" He asked, a teasing glint in his eye and lilt to his voice, rushing over her like velvet and silk.

Raising an eyebrow, Jamie shot him an unamused glare. "Do you want the truth-truth, the actual truth, or the nice truth?" She said sarcastically, huffing as Diablo's lips twitched up into a smirk before smoothing back out. "Oh my, I didn't know that I had so many options available!" He taunted, pushing himself off of the door frame and walking closer to the bed. Jamie stared at him unblinkingly, still waiting for his answer. "Oh, you're serious? Hmm, let's see...how about the actual truth? Let's be blunt here, we both know that faking it takes more energy than either of us currently have." Diablo said, Jamie snorting in response. "Yeah, sure, whatever floats your boat." She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest, now turning her glare on the wall opposite of her.

Diablo smiled widely at her, sweeping the edge of his coat from beneath him as he sat elegantly in the chair at her bedside. "Well, what are you waiting for?" He prompted, waving for her to continue. Turning her head to look out the window again, Jamie took a deep breath before speaking. "I don't know what I'm doing." She paused, shaking her head briefly before carrying on. "I mean, obviously, I'm training, but what comes next? Is that all that is left for me? Pushing my body further and further in an attempt to feel satisfied with who I am?" Jamie demanded, eyes flashing with frustration. "I don't want to keep doing this. It feels so pointless, Di," she grumbled. Shooting him a look. Glancing away.

Diablo sighed. "I know what you mean, but it's really not pointless. There is so much more to life here than just training to get stronger. I'm sure we could figure something else out." Jamie rolled her eyes, staring back out the window. "Well, _I_ know you mean well, but pretty words don't do anything," Jamie shot back, reaching her hand toward the glass separating her from the outside world. "No matter what I do, I always find myself back in this spot. This damnable place, where it feels like all I can do is sit here and listen to myself scream." Jamie rolled over, now facing Diablo. "I don't care what it is, just please, find me something to look forward to," She pleaded, eyes wide and glassy as unshed tears began to gather within them.

Silence followed, and the pleading gleam in Jamie's eyes faded. Her face went from vulnerable to shut down in a matter of seconds, expressive to stone cold. Diablo flinched at the sudden change, desperately grasping for something to say. "Jamie-" She cut him off, eyes closed tightly. "Stop. Don't even bother." Diablo was speechless, confused and hurt by her outburst. "But I-" "No. I said stop, there's no reason to pretend to care anymore." Jamie shut him down again, taking deep breaths as she tried to even out her breathing. She was tired of being led on by the people around her, and she couldn't stand being let down again, not when she was already so broken.

Diablo sat there, frozen in place as his mind whirled, thoughts chasing each other around, crashing, chaos keeping him from thinking straight. After sitting there with the emptiness ringing around them, Diablo tried to speak again. "Jamie, I'm sorry if I hurt you with my silence. I just...didn't know what I could possibly say when I ask myself the same thing every single day when I wake up in the morning…" He trailed off, daring to take a quick glance at the girl laying on the bed beside him. She was so small, so weak, and so fragile. But beautiful and strong, nonetheless. "If there is any answer that I could possibly give, it would be to meet the family I was adopted into, the family of the gods...Artemis especially, she is Apollo's twin sister. I owe her so much…"

Jamie was silent, eyes still shut tight in an attempt to block out everything around her. She refused to let herself believe what he was saying, there was no way it could be true. How could anyone ever love her? " _You worthless, pathetic little girl. You think that people actually care about you? No. If you weren't such a rich little hussy, no one would give you a second glance."_ The voices ringing inside her head...would they ever go away? Duke Everlue's words echoed off of each other, shattering any hope she had of- "Jamie?" Diablo's voice shocked her out of her hellish reverie, causing her to open her eyes with a snap, flinching as she jolted away from the sound of his voice. "Do you still want to train today?" He asked cautiously, trying to change the subject to something he assumed would be safer.

Instead, Jamie's eyes flashed with fiery anger, a low growl crawling out of her throat as she backed away from where her friend sat. Diablo winced, gently reaching out to touch her shoulder, only to jerk it away when Jamie recoiled violently, falling off of the edge of the bed and landing on the floor with a loud crash. Diablo sat there, mouth open in shock as he heard pounding footsteps approaching quickly. Apollo appeared in the doorway as he hit the doorway with a bang, eyes wide in fear. "Diablo! What happened? Where's Jamie?!" He demanded, looking at Diablo accusingly as his voice climbed. Diablo could only point with a shaking hand to the other side of the bed, where Jamie still lay, panting in exertion and pain. Apollo dashed to her side, freezing when Jamie screamed for him to stop.

"Jamie?" He asked, voice quiet and hoarse, as he stood with shoulders hunched and neck craning to see her better. Jamie didn't answer, only mumbling to herself in an indistinct chatter that grated against their ears. She rocked herself back and forth, eyes screwed shut and hands clasped over her ears. Tears were pouring down her face, breath ragged and uneven. She was hunched in the corner next to her bed, pressed flat against the wall, hands trembling. "No, no no nonononOnonONOnOnONONONOnOnONoNONoNOO-" her voice rose in volume, ending in a screech as Apollo rushed to her side, hands hovering over her in uncertainty. Even after sitting through several of her attacks, he still was left speechless every time. What could he possibly do to help? Every time he tried, it only seemed to make things worse.

In the end, Apollo let his hand drop and resorted to sitting next to her, making sure that there was a decent gap between them to give her space. Diablo stood slowly, making his way over to where they sat as quietly as he could, hoping to keep Jamie unaware of his movements. Apollo shook his head discreetly, and Diablo paused, deliberating over his options. He could either go closer and risk both Jamie and Apollo's wrath, or leave to get Lucille. Either way, simply standing there wouldn't do anything. Then, as he began to walk away, a sudden thought crossed his mind - music. "Apollo!" Diablo whispered urgently, "Music! She mentioned before that her mother and later sister would always sing to calm her down." Apollo stared helplessly at his friend, unsure of whether he should do something or not.

"You're the frickin' god of music! Do _something_!" Diablo exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air as he worriedly stole glances at the young girl hiding in the corner, still crying, still trembling. Apollo glared at Diablo, but took a deep breath and began to sing. Voice quiet and gentle, it drifted through the air like water slipping down the hillside. Gliding from his mouth to their ears, it was easy to see why he was called the god of music.

 _watch?v=Qjq4egz96AU_

" _Words are born into air_

 _And quickly fade out in the wind_

 _But they find their way inside you_

 _Where they live on forever more_

 _When the skies are dark and full of rain_

 _Look inside your heart_

 _The light so warm will come and glow_

 _Shining just like the sun_

 _You can see just how much you've grown_

 _How strong you are_

 _A love will open up to you_

 _And it starts from the day that you_

 _First heard those words_

 _oooooooo_

 _oohhhhh_

 _ooooooo"_

By the time Apollo had finished singing, he realized that Jamie had fallen silent. Startled, he looked to see what had happened, freezing in place when he saw her staring at him, eyes wide in shock and full of tears. Her hands had fallen from her ears and were now clasped around her knees, holding them tight against her chest. "How-" Jamie's voice startled them both, shaky, weak, and still thick with tears, "How did you know that song? It's what my mother used to sing to me and - _Lucy._ " She whispered her sister's name, voice breaking on the word that held so much emotion for her.

Apollo blinked, still surprised by the sudden shift in mood. "I learned that song from the kindest woman I've ever known; her name was Anna Heartfilia." Jamie gasped, furiously blinking away the tears that continued to gather in her eyes. "That's my ancestor, my mother used to tell us stories about her…" Jamie trailed off, surprised at the shock written across Apollo's face. "You knew my family?" She asked in confusion, searching Apollo's expression for answers. Unable to respond, Apollo turned his gaze to Diablo, who looked just as surprised as he did.

After a few moments of tense silence, Apollo turned back to look at Jamie once more. "Yes, I knew Anna Heartfilia. She was once a close friend of mine. You are related to her…?" Apollo asked hesitantly, waiting quietly for Jamie to respond. "Yes, she was my great-something grandmother, if you go several generations back. That's my last name...Heartfilia." Apollo, once more, was frozen in shock. Not only was Jamie related to her, but she was a direct descendant - that changed things. That must mean… "Jamie, by any chance...was your mother's name Layla?" Jamie flinched at the sound of her mother's name, pain welling up inside at the thought of everything she had lost… "Yes, that was her name," Jamie breathed, staring at Apollo with wide eyes.

Apollo fell silent, his process of thinking palpable as Jamie darted a glance towards Diablo, who looked just as surprised by this revelation as she did. "That would explain why you have my seal," Apollo finally stated, looking at Jamie with wonder in his eyes. "I was the one who gave it to your mother in the first place." Jamie jumped up onto her knees, leaning towards Apollo with her hair hanging in her face. "You knew my mother?" She demanded, desperate hope filling the cracks in her voice.

"Yes, I did. The Heartfilia's have worked with the Olympians for generations." Jamie's eyes lit up with hope, darting a quick glance at Diablo before asking another question. "Did your sister know her too?" Apollo raised his eyebrows in surprise, "You mean Artemis? Yes, she knew her as well." He answered, a smile creeping onto his face. "We will have more time later to discuss this new revelation; I need a moment to think." Jamie nodded slowly in agreement, head reeling at the shocking information she had received.

Eventually, after Apollo had gotten up and left (but not before making sure that Jamie was okay), Jamie forced herself to crawl back onto the bed, patting the space beside her for Diablo to sit down. "Sorry for freaking out earlier, I know you didn't mean anything by what you said - or more accurately - didn't say." Jamie apologized breathily, words hesitant as she watched her friend settle down and give a small smile at her words. "No need to apologize, I was at fault as well." Diablo was silent for a moment before continuing, "Actually, I think now would be a good time to take a walk outside and do some of those new stretches we've been working on."

Jamie nodded in agreement, and slid to the edge of the bed, feet dangling for a moment before dropping to the floor. She stood still, letting herself readjust, the turned around to look at Diablo expectantly. Diablo simply smiled, following her out of the room and down the hall. "You should get some water first before we go outside; I don't want Lucille to kill me later for dehydrating you." Jamie nodded once more, and filled a water vase by the fountain that was close ahead, drank deeply, then moved on.

Once the pair reached the valley outside where they normally trained, Diablo asked Jamie if she was ready once more, just in case. After thirty minutes or so of stretches, Diablo ventured to speak once again. "You know, I just realized that I never asked what you like doing in your free time. How very rude of me," He exclaimed dramatically, hand against his forehead. Jamie huffed out a laugh, smirking at her melodramatic friend. "Well, I love to read, you already know I love music, and I...write a lot as well." Jamie offered up a sad smile, reminiscing on how she used to spend her time and feeling a sharp pain whenever she thought of art. She used to love to draw...but can't anymore. Not without having painful flashbacks…

"Do you write novels, journaling, or just freelance?" Diablo asked conversationally, trying to get to know Jamie a bit better than he already did. Jamie sighed, looking away from Diablo and falling down into the soft grass, laying on her back. "Poetry. I don't write stories, that's my sist- was my sister's thing." Diablo strode over to where she lay, sitting down beside her. "How are you holding up?" He asked, looking at her questioningly. "Mentally, emotionally, or physically?" Jamie clarified, turning her head to better see her friend.

"How about all three? We already sort of covered the first two, but a recap never hurt anyone." Diablo spoke, watching as the wind blew Jamie's hair over her cool brown eyes, tinted with a hint of jade green. Her hair looked like spun gold in the sunlight, only reaching her shoulders, and very disastrously fluffy...when the wind blew it like that, you couldn't see her scar at all. The one on her face, starting just above her eyebrow, curving down the side of her face, directly next to and almost overlapping her eye, and ending just below her mouth...It was silvery pale, now just under half an inch wide, comparing to the average inch it used to be.

Jamie looked away from Diablo, head turning to face the wolf tree just a few meters away. "Exhausted. In pain. So, so very done." She answered, refusing to look back at her friend. "Are those in order, or applicable to all three?" Diablo asked, receiving an answer of "The latter." "I feel like I can still barely function. My stomach will start aching, sharp pains going through it whenever I move around too much. My arms and legs still feel weak from underuse, and honestly, I never have a moment when I don't feel tired." Diablo was silent in response to Jamie's long-wider reply, unsure of what to say.

Jamie finally turned to look at Diablo, taking in his solemn expression. "Why am I still in so much pain? Shouldn't the Ambrosia have healed me?" She asked, her exhaustion seeming to exude from every pore. Diablo took a few moments to think before answering, "The Ambrosia will only work if you let it. It's also possibly because magic was involved in your injuries in the first place." He replied, looking down at his hands. " _It will only work if I let it? What's that supposed to mean?"_ Jamie asked herself, brows furrowed as she mulled it over in her head. Diablo saw her confusion and spoke further to clarify. "Let me ask you this; do you actually _want_ to get better? Is it something that you truly desire?"

Comprehension dawned in her eyes, lasting a moment before despair broke through and took over her features. Did she want to get better? She wanted the pain to stop, but is that the same as actually wanting to get better? Jamie felt her heart sink lower in her chest, bottoming out in the depths of her stomach. "I guess I'll just have to wait for my injuries to heal naturally then," Jamie breathed out, hands trembling by her sides as she tore her gaze away from the pitying-like expression plastered across Diablo's face. She didn't want his pity, or anyone else's for that matter. She would just have to work harder instead, pushing herself physically where she couldn't mentally.

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 **Love you all, and have a wonderful day!**


	20. Chapter 20: I Must Go On

**Hello my lovely readers! I have two chapters to publish today, and there will be many more before summer is out! In the next one I will be experimenting with new dialogue formatting, so let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: I Must Go On**

Jamie took a deep breath and shot back to her feet, staring Diablo straight in the eye as she demanded his attention, "This changes nothing. I will just have to work a bit harder, then. Let's continue, our training session isn't over yet." Diablo looked after her helplessly, exasperated with the situation that they had been forced into. Eventually, he got to his feet and took his place in front of her, realizing that there was nothing he could say to get her to change her mind. "If that's how you feel, then I think that you're ready for the next step. Your core strength and flexibility have increased dramatically since you first came, stomach pain or not, so it's time to turn our focus to cardio. Your balance is excellent, but there is still more we could do to improve it."

Jamie raised an eyebrow a bit incredulously, "So what does that mean, this time in English?" She asked, sarcasm dripping from her voice, hand on her hip. Diablo sighed internally, trying not to roll his eyes as he responded. "That means that it's time to start running," He stated simply, not able to withhold his sigh this time when Jamie smirked at him. "Let's do this." She yelled, fist pumped in the air, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself than Diablo. Diablo's thoughts spun with the recurring theme of just _wishing that Jamie will be okay and not push herself too hard._

It had been a few weeks since she had started her regular training schedule with Diablo, and she had been slowly getting stronger. She still had a very hard time doing anything for a long period of time, but Jamie had been really pushing herself to become stronger. She could sit up in bed now on her own, albeit with support from her arms, while before she needed Lucille to prop her up because her stomach muscles had been so weak. Her body ached all the time, screaming for rest, but she didn't let it. If she couldn't cut, or hurt herself that way, she would push her body until it broke. No matter how much she just wanted to curl up in a ball and disappear, no matter how loud she wanted to scream, she somehow put one foot in front of the other and moved her body despite its desperate protests.

After all, what else was there for her to do? She had been reading some of the books that Apollo had given her about the gods' realm's history, but other than that, there was nothing for her to read, nothing for her to write with, and she couldn't bring herself to even think about music or art, no matter how much she loved them. All this was spiraling in her head as she ran, her feet pounding on the ground as she eased herself into this new form of motion. Her lungs felt like they were on fire, and she gasped for breath as her shaking legs kept moving forward. She refused to stop. She didn't know what would happen if she did, and that was terrifying to her. She needed to keep running, she needed to keep moving, because if she stopped, Jamie didn't feel like she could ever get herself moving again.

Eventually, Diablo forced her to stop and take a break, and Jamie collapsed where she stood, legs shaking as she lay on the ground, chest heaving and sweat pouring down her face. Her body was at its breaking point, but Jamie couldn't bring herself to care. Why should she? What reason did she have to care? Lucy was gone. Her mother was gone. It was the same old argument cycling around in her head, the one that just kept coming back and refused to go away. "Jamie, you really need to be more careful with yourself," Diablo muttered, shaking his head as he looked down at his friend, laying on the ground, looking so small as she trembled from exertion. He handed her some water, watching as she gulped it down, choking as she accidentally inhaled some. Jamie was still panting when she responded, eyes dull and face expressionless as she responded. "Why?" She asked, uncaring when Diablo flinched at her cold response.

"Jamie-" She cut Diablo off, "No, you don't get to answer that. Not yet." She bit out harshly, guilt flooding through her at the hurt expression that flashed across Diablo's face. Diablo shook his head, trying to shake off the sting of her rejection. "Let's head back, I'm sure that you want to soak in the hot springs for a while before talking to Apollo," Diablo finally said, holding out his hand to help Jamie up. She reluctantly took it, relying heavily on him to pull her up as her legs shook violently beneath her. Scowling at Diablo as he grabbed her arm and slung it over his shoulder, Jamie was forced to let him help her walk as she would collapse again if left on her own.

After going back inside now refreshed and re-energized, able to walk again (but not without small tremors coming from her still-tired legs) and move more freely, Jamie sought out Diablo and Apollo. Hearing familiar voices echo down the vast halls, she paused, straining her ears to see if she could identify them. It sounded like Diablo and Apollo were arguing...but about what? Her? Her ancestry? Jamie braced herself against the wall as she walked, stepping quietly and carefully in an attempt to go unnoticed. In the end, though, it failed. As soon as she approached the wide archway that led to Apollo's main sanctuary, the hushed voices died down suddenly, silence ringing throughout the now empty halls.

"Jamie," Apollo called, "Come join us?" His words were posed as a question, but his tone suggested that it was anything but that. Jamie began to shake at the hard tone that was used, trepidation washing over her at the same time as her memories of her father threatened to engulf her. There were a couple more harsh whispers, then silence again before Apollo's voice cut through it once more, this time a lot more gentle. "We have food for you if you would like. There are many things for us to discuss, but they can wait until after you've eaten." He said, voice growing louder as he approached the entryway, coming closer to where Jamie was pressed up against the wall.

Jamie screwed her eyes shut, refusing to watch as Apollo made his way around the corner and out of the archway, footsteps soft and slow. "Jamie? Are you okay?" He asked gently, footsteps coming to a halt a few feet away from where Jamie stood. "I'm fine," She choked out, voice slightly strangled as she attempted to lie. Jamie could feel the weight of Apollo's gaze taking in her trembling form, still pressed up against the wall that was supporting her. "Can you open your eyes for me?" Jamie flinched but kept her eyes shut tight. "Jamie, it's just me, Apollo." Jamie shook her head in a small, jerking motion. "I can't," She whimpered quietly, trying to stop herself from shaking any longer.

Feeling a sudden weight on her shoulder, Jamie's eyes snapped open on their own accord, wide and frightened as they took in Apollo's hand on her shoulder. He quickly pulled his hand away, startled by her abrupt reaction. "Sorry," Apollo apologized, "I didn't mean to frighten you." Jamie flinched away when Apollo offered her his hand, wincing when she saw a fleeting flash of hurt pass through his eyes, just like what had happened earlier with Diablo...these people pared about her, and she couldn't bear the thought of hurting or disappointing them. Taking a deep breath, Jamie accepted his proffered hand, letting Apollo pull her away from the wall and support her as they entered in through the still wide open archway.

Jamie's eyes darted around the room subtly, although still oblivious to her partner that occupied the room. The smell of still warm food filtered in through her nose, making her mouth water and stomach grumble in protest. Surprised, Jamie glanced down at the offending part of her body, not expecting the noise it had emitted. Diablo giggled, his eyes widening as he slapped his hand over his mouth. Now staring at Diablo, Jamie couldn't keep back the laugh that bubbled out of her own mouth, echoing in the now silent room. Diablo watched her with surprise before walking closer, relieved that Jamie could still laugh at all. It had been weeks since he had last heard her laugh, and the sound of it was music to his ears.

Apollo stayed silent, simply smiling as he watched his friends laugh together before falling silent at what felt all too soon. Allowing a moment of quiet to follow, Apollo lead Jamie to a comfortable seat with a platter of food set before it, ready to be eaten. Jamie muttered a quick thanks, lingering smile melting off of her face as she began to eat. Apollo then sat down in the chair across from her, Diablo perched behind him. Jamie let her eyes wander, taking in the beautiful vaulted ceiling, rays of light streaming in from the high windows, shelves upon shelves of books lining the walls, desks covered in scrolls, papers, and quills with ink, and lastly, the table in front of her, surrounded by short chairs the provided comfortable seating.

It was a beautiful study room, and was obviously used often by Apollo and other figures of high standing. After all, they were in _Apollo's Temple._ After allowing Jamie to eat in silence for the next few minutes, Apollo exchanged a meaningful look with Diablo that did not go unnoticed by Jamie, but she let it slide. Apolo cleared his throat lightly, gaining Jamie's full attention. "So, Jamie, after having time to do some more research about the history of the Heartfilia family, I have discovered some interesting things," Apollo said, folding his hands together as he leaned forward in his seat, gaze weighted with lead.

"It seems there is a greater connection that I originally thought." Apollo paused, taking another deep breath as he closed his eyes. "Anna Heartfilia was not the first or the last Heartfilia to be in contact with the Olympians, but she was the greatest." Jamie pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead, trying to push back the blossoming headache. "She saved our reality from being destroyed by darkness, and in return, was the first and last mortal human to receive the Blessing of the Olympians. Unlike you, however, her original seal was from Artemis, not me." Jamie gasped in shock, covering her mouth with her right hand, the left clenched in the folds of her loose shirt.

Apollo held Jamie's gaze with his own, face gently expressionless. Diablo was silent as well, his sight resting on the vast, dusty tome that was sitting in front of Apollo. All Jamie could force out was a whispered "What?", unable to say anything else. Apollo smiled gently at her, pushing the open book in front of him across the table, letting it rest in front of Jamie. Jamie hesitantly picked it up, eyes widening the more she saw. "This was the personal diary of Anna Heartfilia. If you read this, a lot of your questions will be answered."

Jamie sat in silence, staring at the book in her hands. As much as she desperately wanted answers, she was terrified of what would happen when she had them. Would it change everything, or would it change nothing? Both answers were equally daunting. "Jamie?" The sound of Apollo's voice startled her back into reality. "Would you like us to leave and give you some time alone to think things over?" He asked, voice quiet upon seeing her shocked expression. Jamie simply nodded in response, turning her gaze downward to examine the book once more.

As both Apollo and Diablo left the room in silence, Jamie finally opened the book. Taking in the beautiful handwritten calligraphy, she began to read. Repeated shocks traveled through her body as she absorbed the information in front of her, sending her mind reeling. _"Anna Heartfilia, the greatest celestial mage of all time."_ Hadn't Apollo said she had the same magic as her? Did that mean that she had the same kind of magic as Jamie _and_ Lucy?! Artemis was Apollo's twin, and that was who Anna had gotten her seal from. Lucy and Jamie were twins, and had both types of magic split between them, unlike the combined power of Anna Heartfilia. What did that mean, now that Lucy was dead? How much did that change the future?

Jamie felt the world spinning around her, book clattering to the floor as she gripped the arms of the chair to stabilize herself. _"Anna Heartfilia was the only mage to master and own all twelve of the Zodiac keys."_ Didn't Mama have all of them too? Why wasn't that mentioned? _"The entries in her Diary were included before the original book was destroyed."_ The original book that her ancestor had written in was destroyed? Then how were her entries in this book? _"I have a most important work to do. If I fail, the world will die, corroded by darkness. I must not fail."_ What the heck was that supposed to mean?! _"I hope, in the future, someone will be there, ready to finish the work that I started."_

 _"As time goes on, the anxiety in my heart increases. How can I be sure that this will work? They are my only hope." "I cannot describe the sorrow I feel at the thought of tearing them away from all that they know and love." "I must prepare carefully, for much is at stake." "My children...my heart goes out with you, my blessings watching over you. I believe that as long as you believe in the One Magic, in the power of love and family, nothing can stand in your way."_ All the things that Jamie had read were swirling around in her head, crashing into one another as one thought bled into the next. What did all of this mean? Who was Anna talking about? What was the darkness that she spoke of so fearfully?

After what felt like hours had passed, Jamie finally let go of the chair and reached down to pick up the book she had dropped. Seeing a smaller piece of paper fall out from between the pages, Jamie stooped over to pick it up as well. It was a letter...addressed to Apollo? From her _mother_?! Jamie felt her heart stop as she stared at the achingly familiar writing, reading the words over and over again. She reached out, fingers trembling, to open the torn seal and see the contents inside, but as she began to lift it, tears suddenly filled her eyes and she dropped it back to the floor. Jamie couldn't bring herself to see what was within the envelope, no matter how much she wanted to.

Jamie stared at the slip of paper, tears dripping down her face as she tried to think. She had learned so much at once, and it was overwhelming. It was all too much. Jamie wrenched her gaze away from the letter, forcing herself to look back at the book that was resting in her lap. Her ancestor had obviously been a part of something very important, something life-changing. Something so powerful and dark that it threatened all of the realms known to reality, to the point where there was nothing left for her to do but hope. What did this mean for her? Did Anna succeed? Jamie assumed so, after all, the world was still alive and well so many generations later.

But what did all of that have to do with her mother? Apollo had said that he knew her, personally. That she had been the original recipient of the seal that she now bore, that she had spent enough time with her to know a song so dear to her mother's heart. Maybe, if she kept reading, she would find the answers that she was looking for. The next page in the book made her freeze, horror welling up inside as she took in the words. _"The few passages that were recovered from the original journal are sporadic and non-comprehensive. Much was lost in the fire that she disappeared in, and it is rumored that the amount of magic she bore had slowly driven her insane."_

It would seem that while the book did answer some of her questions, it only served to create more the father Jamie read. The journal entries were scattered throughout the book, spaced in between other written content that deciphered some of what Anna had written and discussed the complexity and importance of her Celestial Magic. When Jamie decided that she had read enough for the day, she leaned over and slid the letter still laying on the floor back inside its pages. She sighed heavily, staring at the book she set back on the table in front of her. Losing track of time as her thoughts pulled her back under, she jumped in surprise when Apollo re-entered the room.

"Jamie, how are you feeling? Do you have any questions for me?" He asked, offering a small smile as he stepped softly through the archway, curtain pushed aside. Strange. She hadn't noticed the curtain when she came in earlier…"I have more than I can think of, and I'm pretty done for the day." Jamie fell silent, thinking hard. "However, there is one thing I wanted to ask. Is it true that Anna Heartfilia had both Godly and Celestial magic?" Apollo looked startled by her question but answered nonetheless. "Yes, in fact, she did. It was part of what made her so powerful." He said slowly, pushing himself back into the seat he had occupied earlier that day. "She was quite the accomplished individual, and did much for us, the Olympians." Jamie nodded, "I suspected as much."

"How is it possible? For her to have both, to such a high degree?" Jamie asked, eyes wide as she sat forward in her seat. Apollo's eyes glimmered with mischief as he answered, leaning forward himself. "That, I do not know the answer to. But maybe, with time, you can find it for yourself." Jamie let out a long sigh as she fell back in her seat, closing her eyes in exhaustion. _"Too much,"_ she thought. It was all too much. "Jamie, why don't you go to bed for the night? It's been a long day for all of us, you especially." Jamie nodded in agreement to Apollo's suggesting, whispering a quiet "Good night" before shuffling out of the room, supporting herself on the walls and furniture, still exhausted from the training she had done earlier.

She lay awake in bed for hours, despite her exhaustion. Jamie could not fall asleep, not when her mind was so awake. She eventually gave up, pushing the covers off of her small body and slipping out of bed, padding quietly to the windows that stretched out on the far side of her room. _"The stars still look beautiful, even if they are completely different from the ones I know,"_ Jamie thought, settling herself in a corner against the wall. There never seemed to be a moment's rest, and it tired her to no end. Why did her life have to be so complicated? It didn't seem fair. But, then again, nothing in life was ever fair. If she wanted to learn more about Anna's magic, she would have to learn it herself. She would have to get stronger and study everything on this magic that she could get her hands on. Eventually, Jamie climbed back into bed and closed her eyes. If she wanted to have enough energy to get anything accomplished, she would need to sleep. There was much work to be done.

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 **Thank you so much for reading, and have a lovely day!**

 **~SSA**


	21. Chapter 21: To Be Strong

**Hello again, lovely readers! Here is the second chapter as promised!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, Hiro Mashima does.**

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 **Chapter 21: To Be Strong**

The next morning, early enough that Lucille had not yet come to serve her breakfast, Jamie snuck down the halls, feet padding quietly. She was in search of the library she had been in; she needed to read more. Jamie silently cursed herself for not taking the book and the letter inside with her the day before. A large creak caused her to freeze, eyes wide and foot still suspended in front of her. Turning her head slowly, Jamie's eyes darted around in search of the cause of the noise. Seeing no one, she cautiously continued on. Eventually, Jamie found herself in front of the large archway, curtains drawn closed.

Jamie crept forward, hand pulling the curtain open just enough to peek into the room. Rows and rows of bookshelves greeted her, sweeping arch ceilings holding the silence like a cloud above the room. She looked to the right; desks covered in reading material greeted her. She looked to the left; the table and chairs sat where they had been the day before. Eyes sweeping the room one last time, Jamie tip-toed into the vast library, feeling daunted by the large open space. The library was larger than the one back at the Heartfilia Estate, which is impressive, to say the least. The sweeping rows of shelves extended widely across, the ends vanishing to a point far in the distance when she looked down one of the rows. Jamie shook her head, focusing on the tome she had come for. Seeing it on the table where she had set it, she picked it up gently, flipping through the pages briefly before nodding in satisfaction.

"It would seem that you found what you were looking for." Apollo's voice startled her so badly that she dropped the book back onto the table, the impact sounding like a gunshot in the cavernous room. Jamie turned slowly, hands trembling when she Apollo sitting in the chair by his desk. He had not been there when she checked earlier…

"I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to- well, I did but- not in a bad way!" Jamie stammered, hesitating when she saw that Apollo did not seem to be mad.

"It's quite alright, you're not in any trouble. You are free to come to the library and study any of the books here whenever you like. Next time, though, wait till a time when the curtains are open, hmm?" Jamie ducked her head in shame, unshed tears glimmering in her eyes. "You can take that book back to your room if you like, just make sure that you are ready for training with Diablo at the usual time," Apollo said, turning to give Jamie more privacy.

Jamie wiped at her eyes, blinking hard to clear the tears away. She reached down and picked up the book gently, dusting it off and checking for any damage. Seeing none, she looked back up and saw that Apollo was gone. Strange. Jamie hurried back to her room and set the book next to her bed. She would read it later, after training.

The rest of the day passed quickly, and soon it was time to train outside with Diablo. She was already exhausted, and they had only just started. Her legs shook as she ran, ankle clicking painfully, but Jamie ignored it. She had to keep running. She had to get stronger. Breath heaving, sweat dripping, she ran. Lungs burning, stomach aching, she ran. Head spinning, vision dimming, she ran. Foot caught, body collapsing, she fell and hit the ground with a thud. For a moment or two, she couldn't breathe, and Jamie thought she might die. Then, slowly and painfully, air returned into her lungs and she coughed out the dirt that had gotten shoved into her mouth. She spat out red and brown colored saliva. Dirt and blood. Sweat dripped down her nose, plopping down onto the wet patch of ground. A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye to join it.

There, before her, was a symbol of her hard work and pain. Slowly, Jamie lifted herself up, arms trembling from the effort of it. Head hanging low, she gritted her teeth against the pain as she hauled her broken body to her feet. She had to keep running. She had to get stronger. One foot, then the next. Step after step, she made her way along the path, ankle still clicking, lungs still burning, legs threatening to give way beneath her as she made them move. Jamie would keep moving, even if it was the death of her. At the rate things were going, it seemed more and more plausible…

Diablo gasped when Jamie appeared out between the trees as the path she had been following came to an end. "What happened?" He demanded, eyes wide in disbelief.

Jamie just shook her head, squared her shoulders, and stared back defiantly.

"No, we are not continuing with you in this state." Diablo bit out, reading the defiance radiating off of his student.

Jamie simply lifted her chin in response, turned around, and ran back down the path. If Diablo wouldn't train her, she would train herself.

Diablo groaned, dragging a hand down his face in exasperation. "Wait!" He called, "Come back, I didn't get to tell you what's next." Voice defeated, Jamie looked back to see if he was being genuine. He was.

She walked back to him, the ghost of a smirk dancing across her lips.

Diablo glared in response, crossing his arms over his chest. "If you think that you'll get away with stuff like that, you are sorely mistaken. There is a solid line between pushing yourself to get stronger and destroying your body. You, my dear, are dancing along it recklessly."

Jamie rolled her eyes as she listened to his lecture, wincing when she shifted her weight too soon and her leg gave way beneath her. Diablo paused, staring pointedly at the ankle she clutched tightly.

Jamie groaned, "Don't say it, I know."

"Do you really?" Diablo raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, yes, now help me up you big jerk." Still whining, Jamie held out her hand for Diablo to help her up.

For the next week or so, Jamie proceeded with more caution than she had before if only to get Diablo to leave her alone so she could exercise in peace. Noticing the strain running put on Jamie's body, Diablo decided to shift their course of action. "Today, we will be doing something a little different," Diablo began, catching the back of Jamie's shirt before she could run down the path ahead of him. Jamie groaned, flopping to the ground. Diablo released her and smirked at the young girl.

"But I'm finally getting the hang of this!" She protested, tilting her head up to speak through the pile of grass her face had landed in.

"Yes," Diablo admitted, "But if things continue how they have been, you will break your knees on the next rock you happen to trip over."

Jamie scowled, kicking at Diablo's leg. Unfortunately, he moved out of the way just in time. "See how your legs aren't doing what you tell them to? They're mad at you for abusing them." Diablo teased, leaning over to poke Jamie's nose.

"Hey, I'm not a kid!" Jamie shouted, pouting at him, frowning even harder when Diablo began to laugh at her. Jamie's face suddenly collapsed, a mixture of sorrow and hatred and grief altogether, muttering, "I never got the chance to be." Diablo felt his breath catch inside his chest, pain washing over him from the words he wasn't meant to hear. They were both silent for a moment or two before Diablo gathered the courage to speak.

"And I am very sorry for that. Do you want to hear what torture you'll go through next?" Diablo winced at his poor choice of words, wishing he could snatch them back.

To his surprise and relief, Jamie laughed. She pointed an accusing finger at him, but not out of anger. She was… "So you finally admit it, do you? This so-called 'training' of yours is torture!" ...making fun of him? Oh, it was so on.

"Well, if you're feeling well enough to laugh, then you're well enough to train!" Jamie froze, panicked, before letting a wicked grin creep across her face.

"Only if you can catch me first!" Then leaped to her feet, and ran off down the trail he had hoped not to use.

"Damn, she's gotten fast," Diablo cursed under his breath, both proud and annoyed by her quick progress. Proud that she was doing so well, all things considered, and annoyed that it meant he would have to chase the little gremlin through the undergrowth. Neither of them noticed the wide smiles that were covering their faces.

About an hour later, Diablo had finally caught Jamie and dragged her back to their training spot. Jamie was giggling breathlessly, glee palpable as Diablo dragged her by the back of her shirt across the soft grass. Diablo was half scowling, half grinning as he pulled her along, glad that she was enjoying herself. Then, an idea struck him like lightning, swift and powerful. Part of the reason it had taken him so long to find her was because she had climbed up into the trees and threw him off of her trail. She was fast and nimble, but he could still see the strain that all of her injuries had put on her small body. Her arms trembled as she hung from branches, and her stomach burned whenever she stretched too far. He could train her to make her faster not only on the ground but also in the air…

"Hey, Jamie!" Jamie paused laughing, catching her breath as she looked up at Diablo.

"What?" She giggled, still not in full control of her infectious laughter. Diablo let go of the cuff of her shirt, causing Jamie to plop to the ground.

"How would you like," he paused for effect, "to train with climbing?" Diablo asked, smiling as he saw Jamie's face light up in pure excitement.

She squealed, "You mean like climbing trees?"

"Yes, I mean like trees. But if we're going to do that, we'll need to do the other training I mentioned this morning too," Diablo chuckled. Some of the excitement left Jamie's eyes, replaced by cold calculation. After a moment of silence, she smiled, her face relaxing back into a happier state.

"If that means that I can climb better, then yes." Diablo grinned at her, and she returned it with a feral smile, "Then let's get started!" She yelled, pumping her fists as she jumped to her feet.

The rest of the day was spent teaching Jamie how to do more core strengthening exercises, this time including ones to strengthen her arms. He hadn't realized how weak they were in comparison to her legs until he saw her climbing un in the treetops, and it was something that he wanted to fix as soon as possible. He had her do push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and more, working her until she couldn't feel her arms anymore. Then, he had her plank and do crunches and kept her going until she felt like a limp noodle.

"Diablo," Jamie said later, "I don't like these new exercises very much."

Diablo laughed, ruffling her hair. "That means that they're especially good for you." Jamie scowled, smacking his hand away from her head.

"I knew it, you really do have it out for me! Next, you'll have me get faster by chasing bears! Or climbing a cliff! Or stealing honey from a bees nest!" Diablo pretended to look thoughtful, tapping his chin.

"Hmm, those don't sound like bad ideas!"

Jamie kicked him, this time not missing. They shoved each other, laughing the whole way back to the hot springs. The next few weeks were spent making sure that Jamie was proficient in her upper body strength as well as lower body strength, and she could run and climb like a normal twelve-year-old. Diablo's training might have seemed harsh to the outsider, but in actuality, he was trying to get Jamie to do less than she was.

Jamie had been pushing herself way too hard, and the only way to get her to ease up was to tell her to do things that seemed more daunting than they actually were. He snuck in all the basics of physical therapy that she needed to progress at a healthy rate, but there was beginning to be a change. Jamie was in less pain, and she smiled more. Her ankle didn't click when she ran, and her legs didn't collapse underneath her after a harder run. Her shoulder didn't ache when she reached up to climb a tree, and her stomach only tingled and buzzed with faint electricity when she stretched her hands up to the sky.

Her wounds were healing. They were healing, and they were healing faster than they had before. There was only one explanation, and that was that she was starting to want to get better. And that made Diablo happier than he had been in a long, long time. She would soon be in a place where she would no longer be inhibited by her body, but better because of it. That made him prouder than Diablo would have thought possible, but he felt it nonetheless. He felt...like an older brother again, and that was a feeling that he hadn't had in more years than he could count...not since he lost his family. Tears filled his eyes as his emotions washed over him, and Diablo turned away so that Jamie wouldn't see him cry.

Finally, she was ready to take the next step in their training. It was time to take things beyond mediocrity and start towards higher proficiency. When he increased their training, Jamie didn't say a word of complaint. No, in fact, she smiled. She knew that she was ready, knew that Diablo knew that, and was itching to do more. She hadn't looked again at the book since that morning when she snuck into the library, but for now, it was simmering on the back burner of her mind. She was more interested in doing what she felt she could do, instead of something that would only bring her more questions and pain than answers. She wasn't ready to face that book again, not yet. Not yet.

Jamie was as nimble as a squirrel now, in the trees, and jumped from branch to branch with ease. Her love of climbing had positive effects that neither of them had anticipated, her balance and overall body strength much higher because of it. Jamie learned to love taking time with her stretches every day, and spent the time she wasn't training finding ways to integrate those stretches with her research and reading in the library. She was finally starting to feel alive again, despite all the pain that she still felt. She didn't allow herself to feel that pain anymore, she locked it away in the recesses of her heart. She would focus on her goal, to get stronger, to learn magic, to make her mother proud. There was no room for weakness anymore, not now, not ever. She would be strong.

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 **Thanks for reading, please R &R!**

 **~SSA**


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